Urged banks to give special facilities to farmers: Bengal Finance Minister Amit Mitra

Speaking to mediapersons at state secretariat Nabanna, he said: “Banks have primarily agreed to our requests. I have also requested them to ease their KYC norms and conditions such as arranging for collateral while lending money to farmers. It will act as a major deterrent to those who had lost their lands.”

Mitra, however, did not raise the issue of loan waiver in the meeting. “The decision on loan waiver is not in the jurisdiction of SLBC. The Centre can only decide on this and ask the bankers to allow loan waivers.”

District-level committees under respective DMs have been set up to monitor the flood situation by August 18. On August 20, Mitra will hold a review meet with state secretaries, where the report will be taken up.

Let’s see what happens: Mamata Banerjee

“Let’s see what happens this time” was Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee response to the outcome of her Wednesday’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, where she sought Rs 21,000 cr flood relief package for Bengal. “I apprised him of the situation,” Mamata said at Kolkata airport after arriving from Delhi.