Across Bengal, estimated loss due to floods across stands at Rs 14,000 Cr: Mamata

Kolkata, Sep 2: Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said the estimated loss due to the recent flood in 11 districts in Bengal stands at Rs 14,000 crore. The State Government has sent a report to that effect to the Centre, containing the estimated loss across the state. According to an official at the State Secretariat, Nabanna, over the last four years, the state has spent Rs 1,500 crore to give compensation and to fight the situation after any natural calamity. Unfortunately, despite the state administration writing to the Central Government several times, the Centre has not released any grant to support the State Government during times of such need, the official added. With respect to the recent flood, the official said while compensation packages were being announced for other states, not even a representative was sent to Bengal by the Centre to take stock of the situation. However, the State Government had responded without any delay; it started providing all necessary support to the flood-affected farmers. The Chief Minister herself went to the heavily inundated areas across the state and took stock of the situation. The official said seeds worth around Rs 10 crore have already been distributed. Sowing of seeds in most of the flood-affected areas in south Bengal is complete and it is going on in North Bengal in full swing. The official assured that despite the flood, there is nothing to panic with regard to the production of food crops. The target of rice cultivation of around 161 lakh tonne is most likely to be reached. It may be mentioned that the flood in both north and south Bengal took place due to heavy rainfall from August 12 to 15 and from July 21 to 26. According to government sources, the flood in 11 districts had affected agriculture on around 10.67 lakh acres. Around three lakh houses were completely damaged, around 55,000 were heavily damaged and more than 52,000 were partly affected. UNI