West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee arrived in Siliguri on Monday for a two-day visit to north Bengal, where she will lead a public service distribution programme at Uttarkanya, distribute land pattas, inaugurate new health facilities, and review post-disaster rehabilitation work, officials said.
“The Chief Minister reached Siliguri today. She will be attending a series of official meetings,” an official said. The public service distribution programme will be held at Uttarkanya, the state government’s branch secretariat in north Bengal, where Banerjee is expected to distribute land pattas to residents of several northern districts.
Officials said she will also inaugurate health centres and creches in tea estates across Alipurduar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar, expanding welfare services in some of the region’s most underserved pockets.
The visit marks her third trip to north Bengal since Durga Puja and comes as the administration continues to oversee reconstruction following floods and landslides that damaged large parts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar earlier this season.
Banerjee has been personally monitoring relief efforts over recent weeks, directing departments to speed up aid distribution and support families who lost homes, livelihoods and essential documents in the disaster.
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“More than 12,000 families have been affected across the state, most of them in north Bengal,” a senior official of the State Disaster Management Department said. “Each affected family will receive financial assistance of Rs 1.2 lakh, to be disbursed through the Panchayat Department.”
Departments including Public Works, Irrigation, Public Health Engineering, Power and Disaster Management have reported substantial progress in repairs. Banerjee is expected to review the restoration of roads, water pipelines, electricity lines and housing under schemes such as the ‘Banglar Bari’ initiative.
Officials said the process of issuing fresh land records, identity documents and other papers to affected residents is nearing completion.
On Tuesday, the Chief Minister will hold an administrative meeting with the District Magistrates of all five north Bengal districts and senior officials from multiple departments to assess ongoing reconstruction and welfare work.
Senior officials said the visit is intended to accelerate rehabilitation. “This is not a routine tour,” a state administration source said. “The Chief Minister wants to bring about lasting change in the lives of the affected families by being physically present among them. Her visit will not only speed up the reconstruction process but also boost the morale of the people of north Bengal.”
Banerjee will return to Kolkata on Tuesday afternoon after completing her review and inaugurations.
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