BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday spoke to his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee and assured all possible help to overcome the crisis arising out of extremely severe cyclone Amphan, which claimed at least 77 lives and left a trail of destruction in the neighbouring State. Naveen enquired about the extent of the damage caused by the cyclonic storm during his telephonic conversation and conveyed Odisha’s absolute solidarity with the people of West Bengal.
He assured all possible support to West Bengal in terms of men and materials to overcome this critical situation. Mamata expressed her gratitude to Naveen for the gesture. “As a fellow Chief Minister trying to restore the state post the Cyclone, this is extremely warming,” she said in a tweet. The Chief Minister’s discussion with Mamata came a day after he assured to provide all possible assistance to West Bengal in the wake of Amphan.
He had directed the Chief Secretary to remain in touch with his West Bengal counterpart and ensure all possible assistance to the neighbouring State. Odisha has been recognised globally for its disaster management model. The State had rushed men and resources to the southern state of Kerala, which was severely hit by unprecedented floods in 2018. The rescue-and-relief teams from Odisha actively took part in the rehabilitation and resettlement of the flood-hit people in Kerala.