Trinamool to skip all-party meet on cyclone 'Aila' relief

Kolkata, June 6 (ANI): The Trinamool Congress will not attend an all-party meeting on Sunday to exchange views and seek suggestions for expediting relief in the cyclone-affected areas.

Sudip Bandopadhyay, TMC aspirant in Kolkata (North), said, "It is a desperate attempt to put a government seal on the efforts to get Central funds for the cyclone victims when the state has miserably failed to arrange relief and rehabilitation."

The meeting has been called by State Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee.

The Trinamool Congress is insisting that any Central assistance should be routed through the panchayats instead of giving it to the State Government directly. However, the West Bengal Government is opposing it.

Meanwhile, an eleven-member Central team is arriving here to assess the damage caused by recent cyclone Aila in West Bengal.

During their visit, the officials will visit the areas hit by the cyclone in West Bengal's South and North 24 Parganas districts and the Darjeeling hills.

Besides, they will also hold meetings with the local administration and the State Government.

The Prime Minister has announced ex-gratia relief of 200,000 rupees for each of those killed in the cyclone in the state and other affected areas.

Rural Development Minister C P Joshi has ordered a grant of 100 million rupees for relief work for cyclone-hit people in West Bengal.

Cyclone "Aila" hit the coast of West Bengal on May 25. (ANI)