Didi skips Yaas review meet with Modi, draws criticism

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

Kolkata, May 28

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today skipped a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to assess the damages caused by Yaas, choosing instead a quick interaction at the airbase where the PM's flight landed after an aerial survey.

"West Bengal has incurred a loss of Rs20,000 crore due to the cyclone," the CM claimed. The review meeting snowballed into a political controversy after Mamata personally met the PM before the meeting and submitted a copy of the damages caused by the cyclone to him.

The CM is learnt to have skipped the meeting due to the presence of her friend-turned-bitter foe Suvendu Adhikari.

Later, Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik tweeted he decided not to burden the Union Government by asking for additional funds, considering the Covid-19 situation in the country.

Modi, nevertheless, announced a financial assistance of Rs 500 crore to Odisha. Another Rs 500 crore was allocated for West Bengal and Jharkhand, which will be released on the basis of the damage. The Union Government will deploy an inter-ministerial team to visit the states to assess the extent of damage, based on which further assistance will be given.

The PM also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured in the cyclone. He conducted an aerial survey of the areas around Digha in West Bengal.

Mamata seeks Rs 20K-cr relief package

• West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee met PM Narendra Modi at the Kalaikunda airbase and submitted a report to him on the damage caused by the cyclone in the state
• She sought Rs20,000 crore package for redevelopment of the worst-affected areas
• The CM is learnt to have skipped the meeting with the PM due to the presence of her friend-turned-bitter foe Suvendu Adhikari

Centre recalls Bengal Chief Secy

The Centre on Friday issued an order recalling WB Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, asking him to report to Department of Personnel amp; Training on May 31. Bandyopadhyay, a 1987-batch IAS officer of the WB cadre, was scheduled to retire on May 31 after completion of 60 years of age. TNS

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