The Narendra Modi government at the Centre has sanctioned ₹11.3 crore for flood protection measures along both banks of the Teesta river, the sum drawing flak from Trinamool for being too paltry.

Jayanta Roy, the BJP MP of Jalpaiguri, had said in Parliament that the Teesta river floods vast stretches of land on both its banks every year.

“I had raised a question in the Lok Sabha on whether the Centre is taking any step in this regard. In reply, Raj Bhusan Choudhary, the Union minister of state of the Jal Shakti ministry, said they allotted a sum of ₹11.3 crore for flood protection work along the Teesta,” said Roy.

The sum, sources said, can be spent till 2026.

Over the past few years, chief minister Mamata Banerjee, along with her party’s elected lawmakers accused the BJP-led Centre of not giving funds for flood protection work and checking erosion along the banks of prominent rivers in Bengal like the Ganga and the Teesta.

Mamata on many occasions has categorically said that her government has to take care of all such work, including the rehabilitation of people who lose homes and land due to floodsand erosion.

As far as the Teesta is concerned, officials of the state irrigation department surveyed different stretches of the river after last year’s glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) that originated in Sikkim.

The department said extensive dredging was required in the Teesta riverbed because of silt deposits. A detailed project report with an estimated cost of ₹565 crore was sent to the state government while detailing the need to dredge ahead of the next monsoon to increase the water-holding capacity of the river and avoid flash floods.

“As of now, we are carrying out flood protection works worth around ₹25 crore in different locations of the Teesta. We certainly need financial assistance from the Centre,” said Krishnendu Bhowmik, the chief engineer (northeast) of the stateirrigation department.

MP Roy said the ₹11.3 crore was provided under the flood management and border areas programme.

Suman Kanjilal, the MLA of Alipurduar who defected to Trinamool from the BJP, accused the Centre of depriving Bengal.

“The Centre is allocating crores to the Northeast through the Brahmaputra board but when it comes to Bengal, only ₹11 crore is being allocated. The Centre is well aware that after the GLOF, extensive dredging has to be carried out. Yet, not a penny has been allocated for it,” he said, adding that thiswas “disappointing”.

Jalpaiguri MP Roy tried to justify the allocation.

“The primary responsibility for flood protection work lies with the state. So far, no comprehensive proposal has reached the Centre from the state. We want the state to properly utilise the funds that have been provided and simultaneously send a proposal to Delhi. If required, I will also put in efforts to get more funds allocated,” said Roy.