Centre to give relief assistance to West Bengal: PM

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Thursday said that the Centre would provide relief assistance to West Bengal government to tide over the unprecedented floods in the state after the visit of a central team to assess the damage.

“The central team would soon be undertaking a tour of the flood-affected areas in west bengal and assess the losses,” Vajpayee told reporters after addressing the 35th conference of directors and inspectors general of police in New Delhi.
Replying to a question, he said that the Centre has not as yet received any report from the West Bengal government on the flood situation.

Voicing grief over the loss of life and property due the floods, the Prime Minister said that the armed forces have been directed to provide succour and relief to the flood victims on a war footing. The air force has also been asked to undertake dropping of food and other relief material by helicopters, he added.

Bureau Report