“What the opposition is asking is unconstitutional. It is the state government’s duty and responsibility to provide relief and rehabilitation packages. We have already spent over Rs 4 crore and need more funds from the centre. Over 53 lakh people have been affected in the state,” said Asim Dasgupta.

He said more food packets, water pouches and

medicines were being sent to the affected areas. The state government, meanwhile, decided to rebuild 400 kilometres of embankments destroyed by the cyclone in the mangrove forests of Sundarbans to save the region from any possible flood during the coming monsoon.

“We will try to finish the work within the next one week,” said Irrigation Minister Subhas Naskar, who surveyed villages in the Sundarbans on Saturday.

Nearly 350 kilometres of embankments were destroyed in South 24 Parganas due to Aila and another 50 km in the neighbouring North 24 Parganas.