Mamata alleges discrimination by Centre in grant of cyclone aid to states

KOLKATA: Alleging discrimination by the Centre, Bengal Chief Minister on Monday said while the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) assured an advance relief of Rs 600 crore each to Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, only Rs 400 crore was sanctioned for the state to combat cyclone Yaas.

Banerjee accused Union Home minister Amit Shah of depriving Bengal as states with less population than Bengal were sanctioned more funds. As Shah informed her that the funds were being sanctioned on the basis of a scientific calculation, Banerjee sarcastically said: "I understand political science but not this science."

Shah held a virtual meeting with Banerjee and her counterparts from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh on Monday morning in view of cyclone Yaas. Besides a detailed discussion on the preparation to minimise the loss of life and property, Shah also stated about the sanction of funds for the three states in the meeting.

"They assured support and sanctioned Rs 400 crore to Bengal and Rs 600 crore each to Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. I told Amit Shahji that why Bengal has been deprived by sanctioning lesser advance despite being a bigger state than the other two. The density of population here is also more. But Bengal is only being repeatedly deprived," Banerjee said.

She further added: "It is not that they are giving something extra to us. It is just an advance and it is the state's right to get the same as it was being collected from the state only. They had also assured of extending financial support to Bengal after super cyclone Amphan.

Teams were sent but we did not receive anything."

She has also asked the Union Home minister about the discrimination between Bengal, Odisha and Andhra Pradesh in sanctioning the advance. "I have no problem as Rs 600 each has been given to two other states. But my question to him (Amit Shah) was why Bengal is being deprived. He said he would talk in this regard later and stated that the amount was decided based on a scientific reason. I have knowledge on political science but not on this science," Banerjee said in a Press conference at Nabanna after the virtual meeting with the Union Home minister.