Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai on Wednesday said that central share amounting to Rs 414.90 crore to West Bengal and Rs 552 crore to Odisha has already been released under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) by the Central government.
In a written reply to a question regarding Cyclone Bulbul, in Rajya Sabha today, Rai said: "During the year 2019-20, central share amounting to Rs. 414.90 crore to West Bengal and Rs. 552.00 crore to Odisha has already been released under SDRF by the Central Government and additional financial assistance to states is extended from the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF)."
He said that the West Bengal government has reported that 11 human lives have been lost and 35.57 lakh people have been affected, while the Odisha government has reported that there is no loss of human life but a total of 38.08 lakh people have been affected in the state.
The Minister also added that the primary responsibility for disaster management rests with the state government, and the central government extends all possible logistics and financial support to the states to supplement their efforts to meet the situation effectively.
The severe cyclonic storm Bulbul had wreaked havoc in several regions of West Bengal and Odisha.