Kolkata: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday termed cyclone Amphan as a "national disaster" with the death toll going up to 86 and the state suffering losses to the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore.
During the interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Basirhat in North 24-Parganas after the aerial survey of the affected areas in North and South 24-Parganas, Banerjee requested the Prime Minister to give at least a part of Rs 53,000 crore that the Centre owes to the state as it will help to combat the situation at this critical juncture when revenue generation has nosedived due to nationwide lockdown and the state government had to spend a huge sum of money to fight COVID-19.
Banerjee also added that this is a time of crisis and the Centre and state should work together. Even though the Prime Minister took an aerial survey mostly of the rural areas, she showed him photographs of the devastation that happened in Kolkata and also pointed out that as a result of this disaster, even borders of districts cannot be identified.
"It is more than a national disaster. God has saved us as we had evacuated more than 6 lakh people to safe shelters. The cyclone has heavily affected more than 60 per cent of the state's population. Around 6 crore people have been directly affected," Banerjee said.
After returning to the Kolkata Airport completing the meeting at Basirhat, Banerjee said: "The destruction is massive. Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha has briefed the Prime Minister about it in details. I have also informed him about the post-cyclonic situation in the state. We have taken an aerial view of several affected areas including Hingalganj, Patharpratima and others. River embankments are completely finished. School buildings have been damaged. Acres and acres of land have gone under water."
She further maintained: "The Prime Minister had assured an interim grant of Rs 1,000 crore immediately. But I don't understand the package. I have told him to send his team for assessment at the earliest and to carry out whatever reconstruction work they want to but without any delay. We are also doing our assessment and our team will also visit for the same purpose. A preliminary report has been given to the Prime Minister and a comprehensive report will also follow soon."
In connection with her discussion with Modi, Banerjee said: "I have requested him to give whatever he wants as soon as possible. We have not placed any demand but requested him to give us at least a portion of Rs 53,000 crore that the Centre owes to the state to fight the situation. The loss is more than Rs 1 lakh crore. This is not the time to have differences. We need to work together. Despite several constraints, the state has also announced Rs 1000 crore to fight the disaster. We have announced Rs 2.5 lakh compensation to each of the victims' families and today the Prime Minister declared Rs 2 lakh each to the kin of the dead."
Banerjee on Friday also informed about the increase in the death toll that includes 19 in Kolkata when she reached the airport to receive the Prime Minister. Modi had announced his visit to Bengal on Friday after being urged by the Chief Minister.
The death toll in Bengal touched 86 with 22 of them dying due to electrocution while 27 lives were lost as trees fell on them. Twenty one died as portion of walls collapsed on them and seven died due to house collapse while three drowned in inundated water. Snakebite led to the death of one person, two when an electric pole fell on them and three died due to heart attack out of panic during the cyclone.
President Ram Nath Kovind called up Banerjee and told her that he almost felt like crying after he saw the video footages of the devastation caused by the cyclone in the state. Banerjee also received a phone call from her counterpart in Odisha, Naveen Patnaik. He expressed his solidarity. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday extended support to Odisha and West Bengal in the wake of the destruction caused by the cyclone. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also contacted Banerjee and expressed her solidarity.
Banerjee will be visiting Patharpratima, Namkhana and Kakdwip again on Saturday to further assess the ground situation and will also be holding a meeting with the concerned officials at Kakdwip.
The Centre owes around Rs 53,000 crore that includes Rs 11,212 crore of devolution funds from the Centre during the financial year 2019-20 from the Union Budget Estimate presented for 2019-20, Rs 36,000 crore for various Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and Rs 2,406 crore as GST compensation.