Kolkata, (thestates.news) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced an advance assistance fund of Rs 1,000 crore for West Bengal after undertaking an aerial survey of the Cyclone Amphan-battered areas.
Mr Modi, accompanied by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on the helicopter, assured of full support from the Centre for the state.
“Rs 1,000 crore advance assurance will be given to West Bengal,” Mr Modi said at Basirhat in 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 said.
Mr Modi also announced Rs two lakh each for the families of those killed in 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 said.
“The whole country is with you. The Centre will stand beside you at all times. I had come to meet all of you but not possible due to Covid-19, “Mr Modi told reporters.
“To ensure minimum loss, the state and central governments have worked together. However, we couldn’t save around 70 lives and we do feel sad about it. We are with them at this hour of grief. Rs 1000 crore advance assurance will be given to West Bengal. Rs two lakh would be given to the next of kin of the persons deceased and Rs 50,000 each to the persons who got seriously injured due to the cyclone in parts of West Bengal,” Mr Modi said.
“We are battling a pandemic on one hand and there is a cyclone situation in some parts. Dealing with the pandemic requires social distancing whereas battling the cyclone requires people to move to safer areas,” he said.
“All aspects relating to rehabilitation, reconstruction will be addressed. We all want West Bengal to move ahead. Centre will always stand with West Bengal in these testing times. Despite these contradictions, West Bengal is fighting well. We are all with West Bengal in these adverse times, ” he added.
“I assure my brothers and sisters of West Bengal that the entire country stands with you in these difficult times. A team will be sent by central govt to conduct a detailed survey about the damages caused due to Cyclone Amphan and the current situation of the affected areas. All aspects relating to rehabilitation & reconstruction will be addressed. We all want West Bengal to move ahead,” Mr Modi said.
Ms Banerjee had earlier asked the Prime Minister to visit the state and inspect the damage, which she claimed was in the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore.
After a meeting between Mr Modi and Ms Banerjee, Union Minister Babul Supriyo said, ” It was a meeting of two able administrators. No room for politics.”
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