Seeking Army help a 'good move': West Bengal governor praises Mamata

NEW DELHI: In a rare show of praise, West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday appreciated chief minister Mamata Banerjee 's move to seek Army assistance for restoring essential infrastructure and services in the cyclone-ravaged areas of the state.


After the request, five columns of the Army were deployed in different parts of Kolkata and North and South 24 Parganas districts.

In a tweet, the governor wrote, "A good move @MamataOfficial to seek support and assistance of Army. These are trying time and appeal to people to keep calm. Authorities must restore connectivity, electricity and other services at the earliest."

The governor and the TMC-led state government have often been at loggerheads with each other over numerous issues in the past, including the state's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The state government, on the other hand, has often accused Dhankar of interfering in the functioning of the administration.

However, the governor today while praising the CM's efforts to collaborate with the Centre over the cyclone said that he saw a "ray of hope" in the cooperation.

"The dark tunnel that had nothing except confrontation, where there was no light, for the first time I saw that there's a ray of hope. For the first time the robe of confrontation has been taken off and a robe of cooperation has been worn," Dhankar said.

He added that the cooperation between the state government and the Centre would be beneficial to the people of the state.

"If the chief minister and Prime Minister are on the same page, it will be beneficial for the people. As governor, I hope that this goes on for a long time," he said.

The governor further added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi announcement of Rs 1000 crore assistance is just a beginning and that it is not a package.

Cyclone 'Amphan' has claimed 86 lives in the state and caused havoc in at least 14 districts, mainly in South 24 Parganas, Kolkata, North 24 Parganas and East Midnapore.