Mamata Banerjee government offers Rs 10 lakh, two flats to families moving from subsidence-hit coal belt in Raniganj
Telegraph | 29 March 2026
Chief minister Mamata Banerjee said that her government would provide two flats to each family which wants to shift from the subsidence-affected coal belt in Raniganj of West Burdwan, along with ₹10 lakh to shift their belongings.
“You all know that this vast coal belt in Raniganj and Asansol is prone to subsidence. Frequent incidents of subsidence occur here, often resulting in deaths of people and destruction of homes. People here live in fear. If you want to shift, we will rehabilitate you. We will provide you with two flats and ₹10 lakh for shifting your belongings,” Mamata said, addressing an election campaign rally in Raniganj on Saturday.
Mamata said her government had been spending ₹700 crore to build 6,000 flats, of which 4,000 flats had been constructed.
“People’s life is most important to us, and for that, we have been constructing 6,000 flats on government lands for ₹700 crore. But we will not force you (to shift). We will only request you. Those who willingly want to shift, we will rehabilitate them,” she said.
For decades, subsidence and smoke and gas emissions have been common problems in Raniganj and Asansol coal-belt areas. In the early 1990s, then CPM MP from Asansol, Haradhan Roy, started the battle to bring funds from the Centre to rehabilitate nearly 4 lakh people living in subsidence-prone areas.
Finally, the Centre announced a fund of nearly Rs 3,000 crore for the rehabilitation of people living in this danger zone in 2009.
On Saturday, Mamata also attacked the Election Commission, describing the autonomous body as “Vanish Commission”.
“Where has the first supplementary list gone? They said that the names of 1.20 crore electors would be deleted. In the beginning, they deleted 58 lakh names without any discussion. Then they put another 60 lakh (names) under adjudication in the guise of logical discrepancy,” said Mamata Banerjee.
She pointed out that names of many married women had been placed under adjudication due to a logical discrepancy since their names and addresses changed after marriage.
Mamata said that the BJP-run “Vanish Commission” was torturing and tormenting people in the name of SIR.
“The Election Commission used Artificial Intelligence (to digitise voter names from the 2002 list, leading to spelling mistakes) and created confusion. Don’t you feel ashamed that you have included even the names of judges in the adjudication list? Actually, they are shameless,” said Mamata.
She also warned her party candidate from Jamuria, Hareram Singh, and his son not to get involved in illegal activities.
“You ask your son not to use beacon lights on his vehicle. This is illegal. I am warning you,” Mamata told Singh, who was on the dias.
Singh is the outgoing MLA from Jamuria. Sources said his son Prempal Singh, a Trinamool Congress youth wing leader from Jamuria, continues to illegally use a red beacon light atop his vehicle despite being told not.
“Several complaints of highhandedness and illegal activities against Prempal had reached our party supremo, which is why she cautioned his father on Saturday,” said a senior Trinamool leader in Asansol.