West Bengal shares details of Amphan damages of over Rs. 1 lakh crore with IMCT

The IMCT comprising seven members at 3 pm held a discussion over Amphan destruction with the state government's chief secretary Rajiva Sinha and senior officers of various departments of West Bengal at state headquarters Nabanna.

The central team was on a visit to the state to assess the ground situation.

Earlier Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had visited West Bengal within 48 hours since the devastation was caused, had announced Rs. 1,000 crore for the state's immediate relief works.

Days ago, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee transferred Rs. 20 thousand each to 5 lakh homeless people's bank accounts.

A Left Front team led by CPI-M MLA Sujan Chakraborty on Saturday met with the central team and asked them to declare Amphan as a "national disaster".

Chakraborty said in the letter to the central team that the transparency should be maintained in the distribution of any fund given to the state.

"Please appreciate that the right of people to know the details of financial support and its real expenditure is to be given due respect transparently," the letter read.

West Bengal Congress president Somen Mitra, who also met the IMCT, said, "Rs. 1,000 crore (given by PM Modi) is nothing as compared to the devastation caused. The Centre should release more money. Also it should be looked at that any fund is not misused."

In a similar tone, the BJP in a letter to the central team emphasised that any "assistance" from the union government "should reach affected common people directly without intermediates" hitting out the ruling Trinamool Congress' alleged corruption.

The super cyclone has claimed at least 98 lives in the state.

(Image Credit: IBNS File)