Mamata Banerjee to meet PM Modi on Friday to discuss on Yaas impact

 The Prime Minister is to inspect cyclone-affected areas in Odisha and is scheduled to meet the chief minister at Kalaikunda

Mamata Banerjee:File picture

TT Bureau   |   Calcutta   |  28.05.21: Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kalaikunda in West Midnapore on Friday to discuss the devastation caused by Cyclone Yaas.

The Prime Minister is to inspect cyclone-affected areas in Odisha and is scheduled to meet Mamata at Kalaikunda, which has an air force base, on his way back to Delhi, the chief minister said. 

“I will conduct an aerial survey of Hingalganj in North 24-Parganas and Sagar in South 24-Parganas.… From there, I will go to Kalaikunda for the Prime Minister’s meeting. After that, I will go to Digha and hold a meeting. Next day, I will do an aerial survey of Digha, Khejuri (in East Midnapore) and adjoining areas,” Mamata said during a review meeting with department secretaries to assess the extent of the harm by Yaas.

“Our primary assessment is that the damage caused by the cyclone is about Rs 15,000 crore. The extent of damage could be even more as ground-level reports are yet to come from several places.… We have set up a Rs 1,000-crore fund to give relief to those affected,” the chief minister said during a news conference at Nabanna on Thursday.

A source said a calculated decision appeared to have been taken to announce ballpark figures of damage and institute a separate relief fund even before definitive assessments were made.

“This must be a plan to keep the Centre under pressure so that funds flow from Delhi,” said the official, alluding to Mamata’s impending meeting with Modi.

Ahead of that meeting, the chief minister recalled that the Centre had not provided adequate assistance to Bengal when Cyclone Amphan had pummelled the state last year. “We had demanded Rs 37,000 crore from the Centre after Amphan.… As they were not releasing the funds, the demand was later reduced to Rs 7,000 crore, but they didn’t give even that,” Mamata said.