PM Narendra Modi arrives in Bengal to take stock of ground situation

New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Bengal on Friday morning where he will be conducting an aerial survey to take stock of the current situation after cyclone Amphan rattled the state and left with a trail of destruction.

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee received him at the airport in Kolkata. Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar will fly along with PM Modi and Ms Banerjee on the aerial survey in the state.

This is the first time in three months when PM Narendra Modi has stepped outside the national capital following nationwide lockdown necessitated by the coronavirus pandemic.

PM Modi had last travelled to Prayagraj and Chitrakoot in Uttar Pradesh on Febraury 29. It is after 83 days that the Prime Minister will be stepping out of the capital, to Bengal and Odisha.

Recently, Mamata Banerjee has estimated a total loss of Rs 1 lakh crore in the cyclone Amphan destruction.

PM Modi, in a series of tweets on Thursday, said the entire county stands with Bengal and "no stone will be left unturned" to help those affected. "Have been seeing visuals from West Bengal on the devastation caused by Cyclone Amphan. In this challenging hour, the entire nation stands in solidarity with West Bengal. Praying for the well-being of the people of the state. Efforts are on to ensure normalcy," the Prime Minister tweeted.