Kolkata, TNI Bureau: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee criticized the Union government on Sunday, citing the railway accident near Balasore, Odisha. She doubted the reported death toll, mentioning that 62 of the deceased were from West Bengal. Banerjee also raised concerns about 182 missing individuals from West Bengal, questioning fluctuating casualty figures. Currently, 73 people are hospitalized in the state, while 56 have been discharged, she claimed.
During a press conference, Banerjee highlighted the discrepancy between the union government’s figures and her own, stating that the Centre and Odisha Govt are under-reporting the deaths to avoid paying compensation.
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Banerjee called for an investigation into the tragedy, emphasizing that it was a result of total negligence and zero coordination.
The West Bengal government announced financial assistance, including Rs 5 lakh for the families of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh for those severely affected, and Rs 25,000 for the injured individuals, from the state.
Mamata Banerjee Slams Odisha Government over Treatment of Railway Accident Victims
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the Odisha government, alleging that they failed to provide proper treatment to the injured victims of the recent railway accident near Balasore. Banerjee claimed that the injuries were not adequately cleaned, and she accused the Odisha government of downplaying the death toll.
Odisha Government Denies Manipulation of Crash Toll, Vows Transparency in Reporting Deaths
Odisha Chief Secretary Pradeep Jena has clarified that the “Odisha government has no intention” of concealing the deaths in the Balasore train tragedy. He emphasized that the entire rescue operation is being conducted transparently in full view of the public and media.
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Addressing concerns about manipulated death toll figures, Jena stated that Odisha is committed to transparency. He pointed out that media personnel have been present at the accident site since the beginning, and all actions are being carried out under their watchful eyes.
Initially, both the railways and the state government reported 288 deaths based on railway information. However, the Balasore district collector revised the figure to 275 deaths by 10 am on Sunday following a detailed check. The change was due to double counting of bodies, clarified Jena.