Mamata flags off trucks with relief kits for Bulbul victims

Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee flagged off 12 trucks laden with various relief materials for the victims of cyclonic storm Bulbul in North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas and East Midnapore, in front of Nabanna on Monday.

The trucks would go to the affected areas of all three districts and the relief materials would be distributed among the villagers. It may be mentioned here that the state government had already sent a huge amount of relief materials to the affected areas earlier, soon after being hit by the cyclone.

The Chief Minister said that 47,000 relief kits have already been sent to the districts and altogether 6 lakh kits are being prepared for the affected areas.

She also pointed out that a number of relief materials are being procured by the state government from outside, as a result of which some materials are being sent to the villagers in phases.

"The state government has shown no misery when it comes to the supply of relief materials and has tried to ensure that they can be delivered quickly. All the materials are not available to us. We have already delivered 5 lakh tarpaulins. We are buying stoves from outside. We have procured 45,000 lanterns. All the materials like sarees, blankets and bed-sheets cannot be collected at the same time. We have a target of releasing 10,000 kits per day. The kits contain rice, dal, stoves, cooking utensils, blankets, bed sheets and baby food. Around 45 lanterns have been sent to the areas where electricity had been disrupted, while 5 liters of kerosene has been distributed for the affected families," Banerjee said.

She further added: "I have asked the Agriculture department to conduct a survey in the affected areas. Around 40 percent people are covered under crop insurance while the remaining 60 percent are not. We have a plan to bring all the people under the insurance coverage. We will construct houses under Bangla Abas Yojana for the villagers who have been rendered homeless. Money would be provided directly to the bank accounts of those whose lands have been affected."

"Around 5 lakh sarees and bed-sheets have been collected so far. We have decided to place orders for the next three years with agencies like Tantuja and Manjushree so that sarees and other clothes can be made ready for any unforeseen disasters. We are also trying to involve the MSME department to produce tarpaulins and other relief materials which we have to buy from outside," Banerjee said.