Mamata Banerjee Claims 99% People Affected by Cyclone Amphan Have Been Provided Compensation by State Govt

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said people in "99 per cent" cyclone Amphan-affected areas have been provided with the compensation announced by her government, and only a few of the "deprived" are yet to get it.

Her remarks came amid continued protests over alleged lapses in the distribution of monetary compensation to those whose houses were damaged in the cyclone that ravaged the state in mid-May.

A section of the victims and opposition parties have been alleging that many TMC leaders and their relatives received compensation though their houses were not damaged in the cyclone.

Some "small mistakes" might have occurred at a few places during the administration's effort to fast-track the compensation payment process, Banerjee said, adding that she has directed officials to recover the money that went to the wrong people and redirect it to genuine claimants.

"Please provide the compensation money to those who have been deprived. There are not much but only a few left. Please provide them with what they should have received. People at 99 per cent places have already got the compensation," the chief minister said after a Cabinet meeting.

"Because we tried to hurry it up, some small mistakes have occurred at a few places because of some people. There will be no compromise. Nobody has the authority to deprive the victims of what they should be getting," Banerjee, who is also the Trinamool Congress supremo, said.

A few political parties are indulged in too much of politics over the matter, she said. The state government had released a total of Rs 6,800 crore as compensation for those whose houses were damaged by Cyclone Amphan.

More than 10 lakh people have received Rs 20,000 each as aid to repair their houses. The government has received around 40,000 complaints alleging irregularities in the distribution of this financial relief and found that

nearly 34,000 of them are genuine, according to an official.

Such complaints were received from Purba Medinipur, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia and Howrah districts. The state government has frozen bank accounts of several people who have received the compensation money though their houses were not damaged by the cyclone.

Around five Block Development Officers have been show-caused by the state government while several Trinamool Congress leaders in these districts have been suspended for their alleged involvement in these irregularities.