Babul Supriyo to visit cyclone-hit areas of WB

Union Minister Babul Supriyo on Tuesday said he has been asked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit the cyclone-hit areas in West Bengal on Wednesday to look into the ground-level situation.

Supriyo said his visit is not an inspection of the relief work being carried out by the West government but to find out the ground-level situation as a union minister and MP from Bengal.

He urged the ruling TMC "not to do politics" over his visit and said that the state government has been officially informed about his visit to coastal areas of South 24 Parganas district which was lashed by Cyclone Bulbul.

"I have been asked by Prime Minister Narendra Modiji to visit the areas and look into the ground situation. It is not at all any sort of inspection or any other political visit to the cyclone-hit areas. It will be purely a normal visit to look into the situation post cyclone," Supriyo told PTI over the phone.

Both Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah had spoken to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday and had assured all help to the state government, he said.

The TMC leadership, when contacted, declined to comment on Supriyo's visit.

Cyclone Bulbul made its landfall in the South 24 Parganas district on Saturday night and the toll in the state due to the natural calamity is 14.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had on Monday conducted an aerial survey of the cyclone-ravaged areas of the district and announced a compensation of Rs two lakh for the families of each of those killed in the storm.