Didi gives relief materials; PM extends

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee conducted an aerial survey of the cyclone-hit areas on Friday. Addressing the DMs and SPs at Hingalganj and Sagar, she said everyone should get sufficient relief material and no one should ever get denied of the relief.

“Food, baby food, tarpaulin should be given in abundance as last time during the Amphan despite giving relief in abundance we had earned a bad name. Babies and pregnant women at isolated areas should be given special attention,” said Mamata.

The CM said the Relief at Doorstep scheme should be controlled by the administration so the affected people are not deprived.

“Crops on 40,000 hectares have destroyed; 1,600 km of roads, 7,000 water bodies and over a lakh houses are destroyed, leaving several people in relief camps. So, materials and medicines should be distributed equally,” said the CM, who will visit other cyclone-hit areas on May 29.

Countering her claims, West Bengal BJP chief Dilip Ghosh said if the West Bengal government distributes the relief properly then it is good for the state. He alleged in West Bengal, the relief is given based on their political affinity.

“Every time she claims several things but appeasement to the closed one and unscrupulous means is common in TMC,” said Dilip.

Meanwhile, PM Modi after meeting Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik, visited West Bengal and announced a financial assistance of Rs1,000 crore for immediate relief activities for West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand, of which Rs500 crore would be given as immediate aid to Odisha.

Earlier in the day, when PM Modi held a review meeting with Patnaik, the Odisha government sought no immediate financial aid from the Centre for the damage caused by Yaas.

“As the country is at the peak of Covid-19 pandemic, we have not sought any immediate financial assistance to burden the central government and would like to manage it through our own resources to tide over the crisis,” said the CM.