May 27, 2021
Lockdown extended till June 15, announces chief minister at Nabanna
Following a meeting with the Disaster Management Department on Cyclone Yaas, Chief Minister Mamata held a press conference at Nabanna.
Highlights of the chief minister’s press briefing:
The Higher Secondary examination (Uccha Madhyamik) would start in the last week of July and the secondary examination (Madhyamik) in the second week of August.
Duration of the examinations would be reduced from three to one-and-a-half hours. The students would take the examinations in their own schools. Examinations would not be held in the elective subjects; the marks would be awarded on the basis of the internal examination marks.
There are more than 12 lakh Madhyamik examinees, who would take their examinations in seven subjects. There are a total of 15 subjects in the Higher Secondary examination. The respective boards would provide all the relevant details.
Cyclone Yaas has caused widespread damages in several areas in the Purba Medinipur and South 24 Parganas districts—three lakh houses destroyed, 1.16 lakh hectares of agricultural land made unusable.
Till now, we have assessed damages worth Rs 15,000 crore. Further details would be known after the assessment is completed.
If the Indian Medical Association decides to send its registered doctors to treat people in the cyclone-affected, it would be very helpful.
The combined effect of Cyclone Yaas and high tide has damaged and destroyed many dams. How did the concretised portions along the seashore in Digha, which were constructed by the Irrigation Department, break so easily? How could dams, built just two years back in many places, get damaged so severely? There would be an investigation into these aspects. No one was asked to take short-cuts.
How did the dams along the Bidyadhari river get washed away, when they were constructed only a year back after Cyclone Amphan hit the region? Did all the money go to waste? Surely I need to find out.
The Finance Department would make a report on all the works carried out after Cyclone Amphan and how much of that was damaged. A task force would be created to examine closely all the work carried out by the Irrigation Department. Only then would money be released to it for further construction work.
Five core mangrove plants were supposed to be planted? Has it been done?
The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has to see to it that the water level reduces in the city withing two to three hours of heavy rains.
The roads would be repaired through the Pathashree Scheme.
As a combined effect of Cyclone Yaas and the high tide, sea water has flown into vast areas of land as well as into waterbodies which were used for fish farming. Fisheries have been severely affected.
The large quantities of freshwater fish which died as a result of coming in contact with saltwater can be dried and sold as fried fish. This is a suggestion I would like experts to look into.
Ensure the security of the people housed in relief camps. They should have access to drinking water, masks and medicines, among other things. Another 10 lakh tents are required. Pregnant women and children should be given special attention. Send adequate clothes to them as well.
Applications from affected people would be allowed at the Duare Tran camps from June 3-18. Those affected must apply directly, and must provide correct assessment of damages. Nothing extra must be asked for. The applications would be examined from June 19-30. The affected people would get the compensation for damages in the form of cash directly into their bank accounts from July 1-8. Rs 1,000 crore has been allocated by the State government for this work.
Tomorrow the chief secretary and myself would visit Sandeshkhali and Hingalganj, take the reports from there, then go to Sagar Island for damage assessment, and then meet the prime minister at Kalaikunda. After that we would go to Digha, again to assess the damages, as well as to hold an administrative review meeting in the evening.
The period from of June 1-15, when special regulations would be in place, we are not calling as lockdown but as a period of restrictions. No one should venture out of their home from 9 pm to 5 am.
The existing time restrictions for markets, sweet shops, saree shops and jewellery shops would remain in place.
Only for jute mills would there be some relaxation. The number of workers allowed has been increased from 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the existing worker strength.
The constructions workers who get vaccinated against COVID-19 can rejoim work.
