West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will not be a part of Cyclone Yaas review meeting to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Kalaikunda in West Midnapore on Friday. State Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, State Irrigation Minister Soumen Mahapatra and senior administrative officials will also be part of the meeting.
State Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar, BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari, State Irrigation Minister Soumen Mahapatra and senior administrative officials will also be part of the meeting.
Speaking to media persons at Sagar Island in South 24-Parganas district, Mamata Banerjee, said, “I will not be a part of the review meeting called by PM Modi. It will take 45 minutes for me to reach Kalaikunda. I have prepared a preliminary report on the estimated loss due to Cyclone in Bengal. I will just hand over the report to PM Modi.”
Responding to the chief minister’s decision, Dhankhar highlighted the importance of the meeting and said it would “serve the interest of the state and people”. “It would have served interests of state and its people for CM and officials @MamataOfficial to attend Review Meet by PM. Confrontational stance ill serves interests of State or democracy. Non participation by CM and officials not in sync with constitutionalism or rule of law,” he tweeted.
However, sources said that Mamata Banerjee will have a one-to-one meeting with PM Modi for 10-15 minutes at Kalaikunda after the review meeting.
Hitting out at Mamata Banerjee for not attending the review meeting, BJP leader Amit Malviya has tweeted, “Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is at her petulant best. Nandigram defeat at the hands of Shri Suvendu Adhikari is still rankling her. Today, when PM reviews damage by Yaas, along with Hon’ble Governor, central ministers and leader of opposition in WB, she will skip for petty politics…”
Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee is at her petulant best. Nandigram defeat at the hands of Shri Suvendu Adhikari is still rankling her. Today, when PM reviews damage by Yaas, along with H’ble Governor, central ministers and leader of opposition in WB, she will skip for petty politics…— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 28, 2021
PM Modi will visit West Bengal to conduct an aerial survey to assess the extent of damage.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi visited Bhubaneswar where he met top state officials to discuss relief operations before an aerial survey of Balasore and Bhadrak in Odisha.
On PM Modi’s visit to Bengal, Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar, tweeted, “WB Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar received at Kalaikunda by Air Force Station Chief IAF_MCC Governor will receive PM who is on visit to affected areas #CycloneYass in WB to assess damage to life & material ..Governor will attend PM Review Meet with State Government.”
Meanwhile, Mamata Banerjee on Friday also conducted an aerial survey of cyclone-hit areas in North 24 Parganas district, officials said. Accompanied by Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay, Banerjee took stock of the post-cyclone situation in Hingalganj, Hasnabad, Sandeshkhali, Pinakha and other areas of the district, they said.
“I have seen that most of the areas have been inundated. Houses and large tracts of agricultural fields are under water. A field survey will also be conducted,” Banerjee said. She also held an administrative meeting with the district magistrate, superintendent of police and block development officers.
Several areas in Purba Medinipur, South and North 24 Parganas districts bore the brunt of Cyclone ‘Yaas’, which made its landfall in neighbouring Odisha on Wednesday morning. Many places in these districts were whiplashed by heavy rain, which accompanied the cyclonic storm.
Later in the day, Banerjee is also scheduled to undertake an aerial survey in cyclone-hit areas of South 24 Parganas and Digha, a coastal town, in Purba Medinipur.
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