Soumitra Nandi and Roshan GuptaKolkata/ DarjeelingKolkataIn the wake of the recent tragedy in Nepal, Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari on Tuesday said the centre and the state would jointly undertake an early scientific assessment of the vulnerabilities of the Himalayan region. Adhikari from a programme at Nabanna Sabhaghar formally launched a new 200-member state level region specific special disaster response squad named ‘Arjun Bahini’ that will respond to natural disasters and infrastructure-related emergencies across the state.The proposed Himalayan study follows a request from Darjeeling BJP MP Raju Bista who was virtually connected to the CM’s programme.“ I have received your letter and I understand your concern regarding the Hills following the Nepal incident. The ‘Himalayan Study’ that you have asked for undertaking in your letter has been forwarded to the Chief Secretary. The central government and the state will jointly study the geographical and geological conditions in the hills and the findings will be shared at the earliest,” said Adhikari .The Darjeeling MP has written to the CM seeking a comprehensive and scientific assessment of the risks confronting the Himalayan region of West Bengal, including those arising from glacial lakes, cloudbursts, landslides and changing river behaviour.Bista said the proposed exercise was particularly significant for the Darjeeling hills, Terai and Dooars, given their difficult terrain and exposure to recurring natural hazards.Adhikari said that among the 200 member Arjun Bahini, 50 personnel will be deployed in the Darjeeling and Kalimpong hills, 50 in the Sunderbans covering both North and South 24 Parganas and 100 in Kolkata.The force has been constituted primarily with young personnel and retired soldiers aged up to 40 who are associated with the State Sainik Board.The government plans to subsequently deploy one contingent each at major tourist destinations namely Digha, Mandarmani, Mukutmanipur, Tarapith and the Terai-Dooars region.Members of the force will be known as “Veers”, while team leaders will be called “Veer Nayaks”. Veers will receive a monthly honorarium of Rs 25,000 and Veer Nayaks Rs 40,000, with an annual increment of 3 per cent.Given the hazardous nature of rescue operations, the personnel will be covered by insurance of Rs 10 lakh in the event of death and Rs 5 lakh in cases of permanent disability.The CM also announced that the first batch of Agniveers will be available from January 2027. The Aginveers along with retired military personnel, would be given priority in recruitment to the police, fire, forest and disaster management departments. Around 20 percent reservation has been proposed for them in these disciplined services.
