Rs 364.3 cr DBT given to Yaas-hit people under Duare Tran: CM

KOLKATA: Taking up a major drive for re-beautification for Digha—which was badly affected by the super cyclone Yaas—Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) of a total of Rs 364.3 crore was transferred to the accounts of Yaas-hit people under the Duare Tran programme of the state government.

Banerjee assured disbursement of financial assistance under Duare Tran programme would be completed by Friday.

She insisted that her govrnment ensured that not a single genuinely-affected person is left out from receiving the state's assistance.

In the same breath, Banerjee lashed out at the Centre saying that the state would not keep begging before the Centre as it had already placed its damage report. "If they do not give us anything and keep depriving us, we will no longer beg in front of them to give us the same. We will manage with whatever we have," Banerjee said, adding that the Centre did not give anything apart from Rs 300 crore as advance to fight the aftermath of cyclone Yaas.

Banerjee on Thursday virtually attended a programme in which well-decorated 52 blue and white hand-pulled carts were given to vendors whose shops at Digha were completely damaged due to cyclone Yaas.

At the same time, about 114 shops were repaired. The Chief Minister also directed Principal Secretary of the Urban Development and Municipal Affairs department, Khalil Ahmed, to talk to the department's minister Chandrima Bhattacharya and Chairman of Board of Administrators of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Firhad Hakim if similar types of carts could be provided to vendors and hawkers in Kolkata.

"Almost every year, cyclones affect coastal areas including Digha and Sunderbans. We have taken up short, mid-term and long term projects. Under the short term project, immediate assistance is provided to the cyclone affected people. An electric crematorium at Digha is also undergoing repair work. Thirty projects would be taken up under the mid-term bracket. Long term projects would be taken up to ensure permanent solutions to different issues at these cyclone-prone areas. A 24-member committee has also been set up," Banerjee said.

She further said mangroves would be planted in Digha and Sunderbans in North and South 24-Parganas. For both these locations, mangroves worth Rs 5 crore will be planted.