Central team to survey Bengal districts ravaged by cyclone

In order to assess the damage caused by cyclone Amphan in West Bengal, an Inter-Ministerial Team consisting of seven members formed by Home Ministry will visit West Bengal today. The team will be headed by Joint Secretary, MHA Anuj Sharma.

Kolkata:An inter-ministerial central team (IMCT) will arrive in West Bengal on Thursday evening to survey the districts ravaged by Cyclone Amphan, a senior state government official said.

Headed by Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary (Cyber and Information Security), Anuj Sharma, the seven-member team will survey the two worst-affected districts of North and South 24 Parganas to assess the devastation, he said.

"The team members will be divided into two groups to conduct the survey on Friday. They may conduct an aerial survey or do a ground assessment. But since they have only a day for the purpose, they may take the aerial route," the IAS official said on Thursday.

As per the schedule, IMCT members will survey Patharpratima and Namkhana in South 24 Parganas districts and Hingalganj and Basirhat in North 24 Parganas district, he said.

"They may not visit the moderately affected regions of East Midnapore district," the official added.

The state government has readied its report on the damage caused by Cyclone Amphan in eight districts of the state, he said.

On Saturday, IMCT members may meet Chief Secretary Rajiva Sinha along with other senior officials before leaving for the national capital in the evening, the official said.

"We will give our report to them during Saturday's meeting and also share our views," he said.

The central team also comprises senior officials of the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Department of Fisheries, Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Ministry of Power and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, the official said.

The central government, which has allotted Rs 1,000 crore as an advance relief to the state government under the National Disaster Management Fund for relief and restoration work, may consider the IMCT survey report for releasing more financial assistance to the state

PTI