Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an advance interim assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for West Bengal and Rs 500 crore for Odisha in the wake of cyclone Amphan. PM Modi made the announcements after aerial surveys of areas hit by the cyclone and holding review meetings with the chief ministers of Odisha and West Bengal.
The Prime Minister also announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to the families of those killed during the devastation caused by the cyclone and Rs 50,000 for the injured.
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier asked the Prime Minister to visit the state and inspect the damage, which she claimed was in the tune of Rs 1 lakh crore.
Cyclone Amphan -- the fiercest in 283 years -- had pounded the North and South 24 Parganas and state capital Kolkata for more than four hours on Wednesday during landfall, uprooting trees, knocking down electricity poles, damaging buildings and killing 80 people.
The cyclone also caused widespread devastation in neighbouring Odisha, damaging power and telecom infrastructure in several coastal districts. Officials of the Odisha government estimated that it has affected around 44.8 lakh people in the state.
