It was after Cyclone Aila had devastated the Sunderbans that the state government took the decision of building 778 km of concrete embankments along the rivers in the Sunderbans.

Dasgupta today held a meeting with Irrigation Minister Subhas Nashkar to review the ambitious project that was to start early this year. “The Centre had promised to give us Rs 6,000 crore but we have not got a single paisa so far. In the Union budget, the finance minister had promised us Rs 1,000 crore but we have got Rs 167 crore only. It is so unfortunate,” Dasgupta said.

Regarding the claim of the Trinamool Congress that the prime minister’s office had allotted Rs 200 crore for building cyclone centres in South 24-Parganas district, Dasgupta said this was not true. “We received no money from the PMO for such purpose. I don’t know how this has been circulated.” The finance minister said he would take up the matter with his Union counterpart Pranab Mukherjee when he meets him in Delhi on January 8.

Dasgupta said the state government had already spent Rs 695 crore on repair of the breaches along the embankment.

Nashkar said he had submitted all the papers regarding the repair of the embankment as well as building the concrete one to the Union finance minister.