PM Announces 1,000 Crores Interim Relief For Bengal After Cyclone Survey

New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi this afternoon introduced a Rs 1,000 crore “advance interim assistance” for West Bengal after he undertook an aerial survey of the areas ravaged by Cyclone Amphan that has killed 80 individuals within the state. PM Modi, who was accompanied by Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on the helicopter, assured the centre’s full help for Bengal.

“Rs. 1,000 crore advance assurance will be given to West Bengal,” PM Modi mentioned in Basirhat on North 24 Parganas district, after the aerial survey. “All aspects relating to rehabilitation, reconstruction will be addressed. We all want West Bengal to move ahead. The centre will always stand with West Bengal in these testing times. We will work together to ensure that Bengal stands on its feet again,” he mentioned.

Mamata Banerjee was seated a ways away from PM Modi throughout his briefing.

While the Prime Minister used a shawl as a masks throughout his go to, the Chief Minister and the Governor have been seen in face masks as they took inventory of the state of affairs and regarded down on the cyclone-hit areas from their helicopter.

Ms Banerjee and Governor Dhankhar had obtained PM Modi on the airport in Kolkata shortly earlier than 11 am.

The cyclone swept by a number of elements of Bengal, together with capital Kolkata on Wednesday, forsaking a path of destruction, with hundreds of houses broken, and timber and electrical poles uprooted.

PM Modi additionally introduced Rs 2 lakh every for the households of those that died within the cyclone in Bengal and Rs 50,000 for the injured. “I am here to assure everyone in Bengal that in this time of crisis you will find the central government fully there standing beside you shoulder to shoulder,” he mentioned.

Cyclone Amphan swept by a number of elements of Bengal, together with capital Kolkata on Wednesday.

Ms Banerjee had requested the Prime Minister to go to the state and examine the harm, which she mentioned was within the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore.

After Bengal, PM Modi will fly onwards for an aerial survey of Odisha.

Ahead of PM Modi’s go to, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spoke with Ms Banerjee as we speak and guaranteed all attainable help to beat the disaster triggered by the cyclone.

The cyclone additionally brought on widespread devastation in Odisha, damaging energy and telecom infrastructure in a number of coastal districts. Officials of the Odisha authorities estimated that it has affected round 44.eight lakh individuals within the state.

This is PM Modi’s first journey outdoors Delhi in almost three months as he remained in Delhi due to the nationwide lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.

PM Modi had final travelled to Prayagraj and Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh on Febraury 29. It is after 83 days that the Prime Minister will likely be stepping out of the capital, to Bengal and Odisha.

This was the second go to of the Prime Minister to West Bengal this 12 months.