Central team on cyclone Aila damage survey

Kolkata, Jun 6 (PTI) A Central team arrived here in
the capital of India's eastern state of West Bengal Saturday
to assess the loss and damage caused by the May 25 cyclone
Aila in worst-hit South and North 24 Parganas districts,
besides Darjeeling district, where the storm caused heavy rain
leading to landslides.

The 12-member team, led by Joint Secretary, Union Home
Ministry, Ashok Lavasa, met senior state government officials
and divided into three with nine members in two groups to
visit South and North 24 Parganas and the others to go to
Darjeeling, a senior state government official told PTI here.

While one group would visit Dhamakhali in North 24
Parganas early Sunday, another would visit Gosaba, Basanti
and other areas in South 24 Parganas district to make an
on-the-spot study of the damage and loss of life and property.

The team, comprising members from Finance, Home,
Agriculture and Planning Commission, would leave for Delhi on
June 9 to submit its report.

Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee had earlier
written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh detailing the
destruction and requested him to sanction Rs 1,000 crore to
help the state in relief and restoration works.

He had also asked for a Central team to visit the
cyclone-affected areas.

The state government had submitted a memorandum to the
Centre on the basis of sector-wise inputs of destruction. PTI