Inter-ministerial team needed to assess landslide damage: MP

Claiming that over two lakh people have been displaced by landslides since July 1, local MP S.S. Ahluwalia today said he has urged the Centre to send an inter-ministerial team to assess the damage.
"I have twice talked to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh seeking an inter-ministerial team that will assess the damage following the landslides," said Ahluwalia, BJP MP from Darjeeling.
"Singh said he can send such a team only if the state government writes to him. So, I have asked the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration to talk to the state government in this regard," he said.
Ahluwalia claimed the destruction in the region was far more than the estimates done by the Mamata Banerjee government.

"Roads in places like Tingling, Lava and Mirik have been destroyed and there are many remote places which are still inaccessible. We have not been able to reach them," he said.
Ahluwalia also criticised the state government's claims of 'zero loss' to agriculture due to landslides and said a central inter-ministerial team was essential to assess it.