FOLLOW US: @TheStatesmanLtd @thestatesmanltd thestatesman1875 www.thestatesman.com People’s Parliament, Always in Session India’s National Newspaper since 1818 | Pages 12 | ` 5.00 | KOLKATA LC | NEW DELHI | SILIGURI | BHUBANESWAR | Monday, 06 October 2025 WORLD SPORTS Karur tragedy: SIT commences investigation, posters back Vijay ‘Hope to announce the release of all hostages from Gaza in the coming days’ Rising Beyond Tariffs India women crush Pakistan to extend CWC dominance Page 6 Page 12 Page 4 Page 9 INDIA EDITORIAL PAGE CM to visit North Bengal as landslides wreak havoc, death toll rises to 24 IMRAN MOJIB Patna, 5 October STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE Kolkata, 5 October C hief Minister Mamata Banerjee is to visit North Bengal on Monday to assess the grim situation caused by incessant rains, flash floods and multiple landslides that have left at least 24 people dead, scores missing and hundreds stranded in the hills. Miss Banerjee, who has been monitoring the situation from the control room at Nabanna since early Sunday, told a vernacular television channel that she would leave for Siliguri along with Chief Secretary Manoj Pant and other senior officials. “I will reach there by Monday afternoon and review the ground situation from Siliguri,” she said. Incessant overnight rains have triggered massive landslides in several parts of Darjeeling district, with Mirik and Sukhiapokhri emerging as the We’ve no objection to Aadhaar as the 12th document: CEC worst-hit. A bridge collapse at Mirik claimed at least nine lives, while seven others were reported dead in Sukhiya. Another fatality was confirmed from Bijanbari, police said. The torrential rain and landslides have snapped road connectivity between Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Sikkim. The arterial NH-10 linking Siliguri to Gangtok has been blocked at multiple points after the Teesta river overflowed near 29th Mile and Bhalukhola, submerging long stretches of the highway. Several tourists remain stranded in hill resorts, prompting the government to issue special advisories. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences and said the Centre was closely monitoring the situation. “Deeply pained by the loss of lives due to a bridge mishap in Darjeeling. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover soon. The situation in Darjeeling and surrounding areas is being closely monitored in the wake of heavy rains and landslides. We are committed to providing all possible assistance to those affected,” the Prime Minister wrote on X (formerly Twitter). In Kolkata, Miss Banerjee convened an emergency meeting with the district magistrates of five affected districts ~ Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar. She also issued a special message to tourists, advising them not to panic and remain where they are. “Mirik is a small hill town. There have been seven major landslides in and around MirikDarjeeling-Kalimpong. One bridge has collapsed and several roads are blocked. Many tourists are stranded. I have instructed that they must not be forced to vacate hotels or pay extra charges. The government will bear the cost if necessary. Please do not rush ~ we will bring you back safely,” Miss Banerjee said. She added that the Alipurduar district administration has been placed on high alert as heavy rainfall and rising water levels from Bhutan have inundated low-lying areas. Blaming the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for aggravating the flood situation in South Bengal, Miss Banerjee said: “In South Bengal, DVC has released massive quantities of water. Ghatal is inundated because it’s a low-lying area. When DVC releases water and the Ganga is already full ~ and with high tide approaching ~ where will the water go? These are consequences of long neglect of nature. Disasters are now happening everywhere in the world.” Referring to the fragile ecology of the Himalayan foothills, Miss Banerjee remarked that unplanned construction in newer hill towns like Mirik had worsened the disaster’s impact. “Darjeeling and Kalimpong have stronger hill bases, but Mirik is a new hill. Houses are being built by cutting into the slopes, which makes the area extremely vulnerable,” she said. The CM announced that ex-gratia compensation and rehabilitation would be provided to affected families. “I will go to Siliguri tomorrow. We are sending people to safe shelters. Those who have lost their homes will be given new ones, and families who have lost loved ones will be provided government jobs,” she said. • More reports: Pgs 2, 3 Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar has said that according to the Supreme Court’s orders and under the Aadhaar Act, Aadhaar cannot be considered proof of age, proof of residence, or proof of citizenship, it remains a proof of identity only. Yet, the Commission accepts Aadhaar cards as per the apex court’s order. He said: “We are following the Supreme Court order that Aadhaar cards should be accepted. We were accepting Aadhaar cards with the enumeration form and still accepting it. We are fine if it is added as the 12th document in the list of 11 documents that we had asked earlier. However, the Supreme Court has stated in its order that the Aadhaar card will not be proof of citizenship. Other documents may be required for eligibility.” The CEC made the remarks during a press conference in Patna on Sunday at the end of a two-day visit to Bihar to assess preparedness for holding Assembly elections in the state. He rejected criticism over the decision to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar just before the Assembly elections and the manner in which the entire process was conducted. He asserted that the entire process was undertaken lawfully and according to provisions. The CEC said elections in Bihar will be held before 22 November, when the term of the State Assembly ends.