MP | 13 Aug 2025 | Kolkata: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Ritabrata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR) under the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti declared with “arrogance” that there is no plan to form an Indo-Bhutan River Commission that has been a demand of the Bengal government.
Banerjee said he had asked in Parliament whether the Centre had any plan to form a commission, but the Department of Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation (DoWR, RD&GR) stated that no such proposal was under consideration.
Earlier, on July 24, the Bengal Assembly passed a resolution urging the Centre to intervene and set up an Indo-Bhutan River Commission to control floods that cause extensive damage in North Bengal districts. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had also demanded the formation of such a commission at the recent NITI Aayog meeting in Delhi, raising the issue in the presence of the Prime Minister. She had further written letters to PM Modi on the matter.
Speaking on the issue, Ritabrata Banerjee said:
“Bengal government has repeatedly demanded the formation of an Indo-Bhutan River Commission to address the recurring floods in North Bengal caused by rivers originating in Bhutan. In this regard, a resolution was moved in the West Bengal Legislative Assembly under Rule 169.”
He added: “DoWR, RD&GR, with sheer arrogance, has stated that no such proposal is under consideration. Bangla-Birodhi BJP couldn’t care less if Bengal is drowned or if our people suffer. The Bengal Chief Minister had written to the PM in this regard. BJP may want to drown people in North Bengal but people of Bengal will drown BJP in 2026 Assembly elections in Bengal.”
In an earlier speech in Parliament, Banerjee had called for the creation of an Indo-Bhutan River Commission.