Families of 37 people from West Bengal who remain missing in Nepal after a flash flood on August 26 will meet Chief Minister Shubhendu Adhikari at Nabanna on Wednesday, as relatives continue to seek information about searches, identification and government assistance.
Most of those still unaccounted for are tourists, according to the report. The missing people include Sharmistha Bhowmik Roy, daughter-in-law of deceased political leader Mukul Roy, as well as retired railway employee Swapan Kumar Singh of Kharagpur in West Midnapore, officials associated with the Trishuli hydroelectric project and residents from several districts of the state.
The meeting follows complaints from families who were unable to join an earlier virtual interaction with the chief minister. Police are now arranging transport for the relatives to reach Nabanna. Swapan Singh’s elder brother Milan said the family wanted information about his brother’s pension and the status of DNA samples submitted after the disappearance.
“We will ask the chief minister what will happen to my brother’s pension. After giving the DNA samples, we have not received any further information,” Milan said after meeting West Midnapore Superintendent of Police Papia Sultana. The police superintendent said the families would be taken to the meeting by the police, while adding that the administration could provide support but could not decide compensation.
Relatives from Howrah, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Bankura, East Burdwan and Siliguri are also expected to attend. Madhumita Sarkar, daughter-in-law of missing Howrah resident Anita Das, said she hoped the meeting would provide some information. Ushnish, whose parents Mou and Swapan Mondal are missing, travelled to Nepal but could not locate them and is also due to attend.
The case has also been complicated by unverified information circulating on social media about some missing people. Shubhrangshu Roy said posts had suggested that his wife and others were stranded without communication at a military or border-security camp near the China-Tibet frontier. He said he had asked the Union foreign ministry to contact China’s foreign ministry and verify the information. The foreign ministry, according to the report, said details about the missing people would be communicated officially when available.
Among those missing are Ashok Pal of Indpur in Bankura and Sandip Kumar Garai of Dewandighi in East Burdwan, both associated with the Trishuli hydroelectric project. Garai’s brother-in-law Rintu Sen said families had received assurances but no confirmed information. Ashok Pal’s father Muktaram and wife Jaba are expected to travel with the police to seek government intervention in locating him.
