New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday conducted an aerial survey of the cyclone Yaas affected areas in West Bengal and Odisha.
“PM Narendra Modi undertook an aerial survey to review the situation in the wake of Cyclone Yaas. The aerial survey covered parts of Odisha and West Bengal,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) informed.
Prime Minister Modi also met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee during his visit and was apprised of the post-cyclone situation in the Trinamool Congress (TMC) ruled state.
“After having review meetings in Hingalganj and Sagar, I met the Hon’ble PM in Kalaikunda and apprised him regarding the post-cyclone situation in WB. The disaster report has been handed over for his perusal. I’ve proceeded now to review the relief and restoration work at Digha,” Banerjee tweeted.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi soon after his arrival at the Bhubaneswar airport chaired a review meeting attended by Odisha Governor Prof. Ganeshi Lal, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Minister Pratap Chandra Sarangi and other senior-level officials during which he was apprised of the need to strengthen the saline embankment along the coast.
“PM @narendramodi, @GovernorOdisha, CM @Naveen_Odisha, Ministers @dpradhanbjp and @pcsarangi attending a review meeting on the prevailing situation due to Cyclone Yaas,” the PMO posted on Twitter.
After the review meeting, Odisha’s Special Relief Commissioner Pradip Kumar Jena said the Chief Minister expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Modi for having visited the state and requested him to consider a long-term and robust cyclone mitigation infrastructure for a cyclone-prone state like Odisha.
Briefed the media in Bhubaneswar, Jena said the Odisha Government made a video presentation on the cyclone before Prime Minister Modi and put forward two explicit proposals before him on the long-term disaster-resilient power system and coastal storm surge protection system.
He informed that around 400 to 450 km stretch of the 480-kilometre long coastline of Odisha is vulnerable to cyclone induced storm surges.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee informed that the Chief Secretary has submitted a report to the Prime Minister over the destruction caused due to cyclone Yaas in the State.
Meanwhile, according to sources cited by news agency ANI, West Bengal CM and Chief Secretary arrived late by 30 mins for cyclone review meet despite being in the same premises. It has been reported that the CM upon entering the review meet handed over papers related to the cyclone impact and left saying that other meetings were lined up.
Earlier, sources had revealed that CM Mamata will not attend the meeting as she has an objection over the presence of her former protege turned leader of opposition Suvendu Adhikari.
PM Modi Announces Final Aid Of Rs 1000 crore
PM Modi has announced financial assistance of Rs 1000 crore for immediate relief activities. Rs 500 crore would be immediately given to Odisha. Another Rs 500 cr announced for West Bengal and Jharkhand, which will be released on the basis of the damage, PMO informed.
Centre will deploy an Inter-Ministerial Team to visit the states to assess the extent of damage, based on which further assistance will be given. PM Modi assured Odisha, West Bengal and Jharkhand that the Centre would closely work with the State Governments at this difficult time.
PM expressed his complete solidarity with all those who suffered due to the cyclone and expressed deep sorrow to families who have lost their kin during the calamity. He announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured, PMO stated.