Adhir writes to Prime Minister, seeks more Army men for cyclone-hit Bengal

Kolkata: Senior Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking deployment of more Army personnel to restore normalcy in cyclone-hit Kolkata and other parts of West Bengal.

Claiming that the state government has "failed miserably" to cope with the disaster, the Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha said distribution of food and relief materials to flood-affected areas has been woefully inadequate.

Chowdhury stated that large parts of the state have been inundated with the ingress of seawater and decomposed bodies floating around, which may cause a serious health hazard.

He said Kolkata and many other parts of the state are still without electricity and critical patients are facing a severe threat to life.

Chowdhury said more Army personnel should be sent to help restore normalcy while taking the state into confidence.

Following the request of the state government last week, Army personnel were deployed for restoration work in Kolkata and neighbouring districts.

Large areas of Kolkata and parts of its neighbouring districts continue to remain without power as electric poles and communication lines were blown away by cyclone 'Amphan' that hit the state on May 20.