Country Stands With Odisha, West Bengal: PM Modi On Cyclone Amphan Crisis

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday applauded the courage of the people of West Bengal and Odisha in facing cyclone Amphan, which devastated the two states earlier this month, and said the country stands united with them.

"The courage and bravery with which the people of West Bengal and Odisha have faced the ordeal is commendable. In this hour of crisis, the country also stands in unison with the people of these two states in every manner whatsoever," PM Modi said in his "Mann Ki Baat" radio address.

He said on one hand while we are busy combating the COVID-19 pandemic, on the other, we were recently confronted with natural calamity in parts of eastern India.

"During the last few weeks, we have seen the havoc wreaked by super cyclone Amphan in West Bengal and Odisha. Many houses were razed. Farmers also suffered heavy losses. I went to take stock of the situation last week to Odisha and West Bengal," he said.

On May 22, PM Modi reviewed the situation in West Bengal and Odisha with Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee and Naveen Patnaik, two days after the cyclone, the worst in years, devastated their states.

The prime minister announced an interim assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for West Bengal.

PM Modi also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the families of each of those killed and Rs 50,000 for the injured. The prime minister later flew down to Odisha, where he announced a financial assistance of another Rs 500 crore.