Amphan Aftermath: WB Guv lauds govt for taking Army's help in conducting relief work

West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar on Saturday lauded the state government for taking the help of Army to conduct relief works post-cyclone Amphan, which has claimed 86 lives so far. The Governor, however, questioned the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) for not having any contingency plan to tackle the post-cyclone Amphan situation.

"Before landfall, I had spoken to Commander of Eastern Command General Anil Chauhan. He had said that the Army has made great preparations for relief work. He had said that their 11 columns, wherein one column consist of 60 members, are ready and another 12 are waiting. The General had also said that they have all equipment so that no stone is left unturned in helping the people," Dhankar told ANI.

"I have come to know that the state government has taken the positive step of taking the help of the Army. This is commendable. We must use every available resource. Our defence forces are the best. They engage in very efficient relief work. I am sure that the performance of the Army will be exemplary," he added.

READ: Cyclone Amphan: West Bengal asks Railway Board to not send Shramik trains till May 26

Cyclone Amphan in West Bengal

Cyclone Amphan which reported winds up to 190 kmph made landfall at the Digha coast of West Bengal at 2:30 pm on Wednesday, hitting Kolkata a few hours later. There were widespread power cuts in large parts of Kolkata, North 24 Parganas, and South Parganas. Mobile and internet services were also down in parts of the state as the cyclone damaged several communication towers. 

Streets and homes in low lying areas of Kolkata were swamped with rainwater. Portions of several dilapidated buildings came crashing down in Kolkata and other parts of the state. Embankments in Sundarban delta - a UNESCO site - were also breached as the surge whipped up by the cyclone inundated several kilometres of the island. 

READ: 'Bengal will fight back': CM Mamata confirms 80 dead & 60% people hit by Cyclone Amphan

PM Modi announces Rs 2 lakh Ex-Gratia

After taking stock of the situation in West Bengal on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the deceased persons. He also said that the Central government will allocate Rs 1,000 crore for an advance immediate assistance of West Bengal. He also announced Rs 50,000 each to the injured persons.

 READ: PM Modi announces Rs 1000 Cr aid to WB; Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia for victims of Cyclone Amphan

READ: Bengal seeks Army's help to restore essential infrastructure ravaged by Cylcone Amphan

(With Inputs from ANI)