Chief minister Mamata Banerjee has accused the Centre of depriving Bengal of cyclone relief funds in the run-up to Yaas making landfall midweek, by putting Andhra Pradesh and Odisha ahead in terms of allocation.

Mamata’s accusation came soon after a meeting with the Union home minister Amit Shah along with the chief ministers of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh on Monday.

“The home minister announced Rs 600 crore each for Andhra and Odisha, while only Rs 400 crore will be provided for Bengal. Our state is bigger than Andhra and Odisha, our density of population is more. We also have more districts, yet we always face discrimination,” Mamata said. “I am happy with what the Centre is providing for these two states. My only objection is to the treatment being meted out to Bengal.”

The chief minister went oo to add that the Centre has always taken a discriminatory attitude towards Bengal. “Be it Amphan or Bulbul, Centre has not given us one penny from its pocket. From the funds reserved for Bengal they released Rs 1,000 crore,” she said.

For Wednesday’s cyclone, the government has set up control rooms in the state secretariat and the annexe building.

Thirty-five NDRF teams have been deployed in Howrah, Hooghly, North 24-Parganas, South 24-Parganas, East and West Midnapore districts.

Mamata said the government was prepared to evacuate 10lakh people from low-lying coastal areas and plans to use 4,000 shelters set up during last year’s cyclone.

“Those staying in temporary houses should move into the cyclone shelters for their safety. Twenty districts of Bengal from the coastal ones to the Hills are likely to be affected,” the chief minister said.

For the hospitals already under pressure with the Covid patients, the chief minister said that a steady supply of medical oxygen and medicines will be ensured.