In a fresh case of recovery of government relief materials hoarded by TMC leaders, locals in Kalagachia More area under Diamond Harbour 2 No. Block discovered a massive quantity of such materials stacked inside the house of Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Raju Bag and his brother Biju Bag. The locals found nearly 50,000 tarpaulins in the house meant to be distributed to public, especially during natural calamities The recovery has triggered massive public outrage, with residents demanding immediate arrests.
According to reports, the TMC leaders Raju Bag and Biju Bag had been absconding since the announcement of recent election results. Frustrated locals, who claimed they had not received relief materials for a long time despite repeated requests, went to the house on Saturday and broke open the lock of the closed house. Inside the house, they found massive stockpile of government-supplied relief tarpaulins meant for distribution among destitute and disaster-affected people. The tarpaulins were kept secretly instead of being handed over to beneficiaries.
Police personnel from Parulia Coastal Thana rushed to the spot after receiving information about the same. Officials from the Block Development Officer (BDO) office also visited the site to assess the seized materials. The tarpaulins were later taken to the police station, and an administrative-level investigation has been initiated to probe how such a large quantity was stored in a private house.
Videos show angry women using a hammer to break the padlock, after which the tarpaulins were discovered inside the house. As per locals, some of the tarpaulins have been stocked in the house since 2021, as per the labels on the packets. The visuals show the interior of the house with rows of plastic-wrapped tarpaulin bundles piled high, locals pointing at the hoard and expressing their anger, and police and BDO teams inspecting the site. The visuals have further amplified public resentment, with many questioning why essential relief items meant for the poor were hoarded for such a long time.
Hundreds of angry residents gathered at the location after the discovery, raising slogans and demanding the arrest of Raju Bag and Biju Bag. Law enforcement and administration officials reportedly faced difficulty in controlling the protesting crowd.
his incident in Diamond Harbour is the latest in a string of similar recoveries of hoarded government relief materials across West Bengal. In last few days, several such discoveries have been made from houses of TMC leaders.
On 4th June, police raided locked Eastern Coalfields Limited quarters associated with TMC leader Udeep Singh in Jamuria, Paschim Bardhaman district, where blankets, tarpaulins, clothes, rice, and wheat were recovered. On the same day in Usti, South 24 Parganas, authorities raided the residence of former Trinamool Minister Giasuddin Molla and seized relief materials, prompting immediate protests by locals outside the house.
In Pandabeswar, also in Paschim Bardhaman, a search conducted in a godown next to the residence of former TMC MLA Narendranath Chakraborty uncovered tarpaulins, clothes, and food items, with agitated residents telling the media that they had never received any relief despite the stockpile. Apart from tarpaulins, the recovered materials included blankets, sarees, shawls, school uniforms and other such items, meant to be distributed to the public.
Additionally, on 31 May in Mathurapur, South 24 Parganas, locals alleged the recovery of a huge quantity of relief supplies from the office of TMC MP Bapi Halder, leading to protesters vandalising the office in anger. Similar recoveries have been reported from homes and offices of TMC leaders in other areas such as Katwa, Dum Dum, Bhatpara, Bidhannagar, Khejuri, and Diamond Harbour.
Several TMC leaders have already been arrested in connection with these cases, including Baduria Municipality chairman Dipankar Bhattacharya, Patharpratima regional president Gautam Aari, former Purbasthali North MLA Tapan Chatterjee, Asansol Municipal Corporation councillor Tarun Chakraborty, and Nabadwip Municipality chairman Biman Krishna Saha. Raid at Dipankar Bhattacharya’s properties also yielded ₹2.24 crore in cash.
