'Guj sought Rs 700 cr from Centre after Biparjoy but got nothing till July'

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The Gujarat government sought compensation of Rs 700 crore from the Centre towards the damage caused by cyclone Biparjoy in June but didn't receive any grants as of July 31, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel told the assembly on Wednesday.

Cyclone Biparjoy made landfall on the Gujarat coast on June 16 accompanied by heavy rains. It ripped through Kutch and parts of the Saurashtra region, with wind speeds going up to 140 kmph resulting in trees and electricity poles getting uprooted.

During question hour on Wednesday, Congress MLA from Vav in Banaskantha district, Geniben Thakor, asked if the state government had sought any grant from the Centre in view of the damage caused by cyclone Biparjoy in June.

In his written response, the chief minister, who handles the Disaster Management portfolio, said the state government submitted a memorandum to the Centre on June 18 seeking Rs 700.42 crore as compensation towards the damage caused by the cyclone.

Patel stated the state government has not received any grants from the Centre as of July 31.

As a precautionary measure before the cyclone made landfall on June 16, the state government had shifted nearly 1 lakh people to safer places.

Because of heavy rains caused by the cyclone, seawater had entered villages located in low-lying areas.

In July, the state government announced a relief package of Rs 240 crore for farmers affected by the cyclone in Kutch and Banaskantha districts.