Five lakh relief kits to be distributed among cyclone-hit

Asserting that her government would provide all possible assistance to those affected by Cyclone 'Bulbul', West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said five lakh relief kits were to be distributed among the disaster-hit families.

The kits, containing blankets, a cooking stove, utensils, food items and clothes, would be provided to all affected families in East Midnapore, South 24 Parganas and North 24 Parganas, she said, after flagging off 12 vehicles loaded with relief materials from state secretariat Nabanna.

A total of 47,000 kits have been dispatched for the affected families, the TMC supremo noted.

Banerjee also said that her government had already provided five lakh tarpaulin, 45,000 lanterns and five litres of kerosene to each family.

Those that have lost homes in the cyclone would also be provided accommodation under the government's housing scheme, she explained.

"We have mobilised five lakh sheets of cloth, while state-owned clothing brands Tantuja and Tantushree have been asked to make an arrangement with their weavers for three years so that materials can be obtained at short notice during such crises," she said.

The agriculture department had been asked to conduct a survey of the farming land affected during the cyclone, the TMC supremo told reporters.

"From the current coverage of 60 per cent, we are planning to extend the government's crop insurance scheme benefits to all farmers in the state," she added.