The state government of West Bengal has refused to hold a review meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Cyclone Fani.
Prime Minister Modi, who flew down to Bhubaneswar on Monday to visit the areas hit by Fani and take stock of the situation, wanted to do the same for West Bengal.
The Centre had written to the Mamata Banerjee-led administration about a review meeting of the prime minister with the state government officials today.
However, the West Bengal government replied that since the government officials are busy with election duty, hence the review meeting should not be held.
"For the purpose of supervision of elections arrangement, the Chief Secretary, West Bengal and State Home Secretary will have to be stationed in the headquarters from morning till the end of elections on 06.05.2019. Hence it will not be possible for Chief Secretary, West Bengal, Home Secretary and other senior officers of the Government of West Bengal to be away from headquarters on 06.05.2019," the letter to the Union Home Ministry from the West Bengal's Department of Disaster Management and Civil Defence stated.
In Odisha, Prime Minister Modi was received by Governor Ganeshi Lal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the airport in the morning.
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The Centre had earlier released Rs 1,000 crore to Odisha and other states, including West Bengal, to deal with the devastation caused by Cyclone Fani.
The prime minister wanted to take stock of the situation in West Bengal as well,but the state government declined.
"It is, therefore, proposed in view of the date coinciding with elections the meeting may be deferred," the letter from the West Bengal government added.
Government sources on Sunday revealed that the PMO had made attempts to connect Prime Minister Narendra Modi to West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee twice over telephone post the Cyclone Fani but failed.
Reacting to reports in a section of media that TMC has expressed its displeasure over PM Modi speaking only to West Bengal Governor Keshari Nath Tripathi to inquire about the situation in the aftermath of the cyclone, the sources in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said that the claim is incorrect.
According to TMC, the Prime Minister had talked to Governor Tripathi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik but "did not call up" Banerjee.
The PMO sources said that two attempts were made by the PM's staff to connect the Prime Minister to Banerjee over the telephone.
"The claim made by TMC is incorrect. Two attempts were made on Saturday morning from the Prime Minister's staff to connect the Prime Minister to the West Bengal Chief Minister on phone," the sources had told ANI.
They said that on both occasions, PMO staff was told by Banerjee's office that the Chief Minister was on tour and the calls would be returned once she was back.
Cyclone Fani on Friday lashed Odisha and parts of West Bengal, triggering heavy rainfall accompanied by wind touching the speed of 200 kmph, and left three persons dead besides over 160 injured, a trail of destruction that included damaged houses, uprooted trees and electricity poles.