Cyclone Remal Devastation: West Bengal Initiates Compensation Measures

In the aftermath of cyclone Remal, which caused significant destruction across West Bengal and other states, the administration is stepping up to provide compensation for the damages incurred, particularly in the South 24-Parganas region of West Bengal. The cyclone’s timing coincided with the enforcement of the model code of conduct due to elections, which initially hindered any immediate governmental assistance to the victims. However, following the conclusion of the vote counting on Tuesday, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) has begun coordinating with the affected states’ administrations to facilitate the disbursement of insurance claims.
Officials from Nabanna have indicated that a nodal officer is to be appointed for overseeing the insurance money distribution process, with details to be provided to the chief secretary, B P Gopalika. For areas with significant damage, district-specific officers will be designated to ensure the process is expedited. Efforts to inform the public about these officers and the claims process will include advertisements through websites and other media forms, alongside the establishment of a 24×7 helpline.
The initiative comes after the immediate aftermath of cyclone Remal saw limited direct support from political parties, and both central and state governments due to the election code of conduct. Despite appeals from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and All India Trinamul Congress general secretary Abhishek Banerjee to the Election Commission for temporary relief measures, the disbursement of funds was not possible until now. With the elections over, Nabanna is preparing to start compensation payments to the cyclone victims from June onwards.