new delhikolkata the centre has asked its power utilities ntpc and powergrid to mobilise additional manpower and make them available to the west bengal government to help restore power supply in the state union power minister r k singh sent out this message to central power utilities on monday while taking stock of progress in power restoration in cyclone amphanhit bengal and odishathe centre has extended all help with regard to manpower and assistance to the two states to restore power supply and telecom network on priority basis we will remain in touch with the west bengal government to provide them whatever help is necessary singh said in a video conference participating in the videocon bengal chief secretary rajiva sinha said restoration work was in progress in kolkata and the districts the odisha government has sent 40 teams to help kmc clear fallen trees from city roads five columns of the army and national disaster response force ndrf too are helping the state in the task the national crisis management committee ncmc presided over by union cabinet secretary rajiv gauba met for the fifth time on monday to take stock of restoration work in amphanhit districts he advised that complete power connectivity telecom service and drinking water supply be restored on priority basis gauba also urged the bengal government to indicate their additional requirements and directed the respective union ministries to act in close coordination with the state government adequate stocks of foodgrain have also been kept ready for supply based on the states demand among those who attended the meeting were senior officials from the ministries of home affairs power telecommunications food public distribution health drinking water sanitation hq ids ndma and ndrfthe mha will soon send a central team to bengal to make a damageimpact assessment prime minister narendra modi has already released rs 1000 crore as advance assistance to bengal which is grappling with the twin catastrophes of covid pandemic and cyclone amphan chief minister mamata banerjee has ordered a comprehensive assessment of the damage by state departments the state is likely to compile the report within a week and submit it to the mha teamaccording to preliminary estimates 6 crore of bengals 10 crore population have been affected by the cyclone a total 6 crore people in 15 districts have been affected of which 73 lakh are from south 24 parganas embankments along a 56km stretch in the sunderbans have been wiped out 10 lakh houses have been damaged in the district the state government is working on priority basis to rebuild houses and provide drinking water to people as villages farmlands fisheries have been flooded with saline water the cm had said on saturday after an administrative meeting at kakdwip in south 24 parganas