Cyclone Asani: CM's dist tour deferred to May 17

kolkata: The visit of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to the districts has been pushed back by a week with the weather office predicting rainfall in the South Bengal districts from May 11 due to the impact of Cyclone Asani.

"As the cyclone is apprehended, districts need to make preparations for countering the disaster and hence the deferment," a senior Nabanna official said.

As per Nabanna sources, Banerjee will hold a meeting with the administration of West Midnapore at Midnapore Collegiate Ground on May 17. The next day she will hold a political programme with leaders of the Panchayat-level at Midnapore and follow it up with an administrative meeting at Jhargram on May 19. Earlier the Chief Minister's itinerary was scheduled on May 10, 11 and 12.

Banerjee herself had declared about her Midnapore and Jhargram visit after holding an organisational meeting of Trinamool Congress party last Thursday.

The weather office has predicted heavy rainfall in some places of the coastal districts of the state that include East Midnapore and South 24-Parganas. West Midnapore is not very far from East Midnapore. So considering the chances of inclement weather, the administration has not taken any risk and pushed back the Chief Minister's scheduled district programmes.

The district leaders have also been informed by the party about the change in the party chairperson's schedule. Accordingly, preparations for the programmes as per the revised schedule has started.

"The leaders and the party workers look forward to the message and instructions delivered by the Chief Minister during her meetings.

If the weather conditions turn hostile, then they will not be able to turn up and miss the opportunity of hearing the speech of Didi (Mamata Banerjee). So we hope that things will be okay on May 17 and 18 and there will be a huge gathering at Didi's programme," a senior TMC leader of West Midnapore said.