Niramala Sitharaman,Union Finance Minister
”MDs from the banks & insurance companies provided a detailed update on the precautionary measures for the #CycloneBiparjoy. During the meeting, Smt @nsitharaman stated that all Disaster Management protocols should be followed and staff should be made aware of it,” the finance ministry said in a series of tweets.
New Delhi:
Finance Minister Niramala Sitharaman on Wednesday chaired a meeting of managing directors of public sector banks and insurance companies to review their preparedness in view of cyclone ‘Biparjoy’.
Categorised as a ”very severe cyclonic storm”, ‘Biparjoy’ is expected to make landfall in the Gujarat coast Thursday.
”MDs from the banks & insurance companies provided a detailed update on the precautionary measures for the #CycloneBiparjoy. During the meeting, Smt @nsitharaman stated that all Disaster Management protocols should be followed and staff should be made aware of it,” the finance ministry said in a series of tweets.
The India Meteorological Department(IMD) has said that cyclone ‘Biparjoy’, which is forecast to cross close to Jakhau Port on the evening of June 15, has “extensive damaging potential” and is likely to impact Kutch, Devbhoomi Dwarka and Jamnagar districts of Gujarat the most.
”She stated that banks and insurance companies should ensure that the staff get adequate care, food and medicine during #CycloneBiparjoy. She said that the claims originating from loss of life, fisheries, livestock, crops, boats, & property should be settled expeditiously,” another tweet said.
The meeting via video conference was attended by Department of Financial Services Secretary Vivek Joshi, along with other senior officials.
”Smt @nsitharaman emphasised that banking services should be restored at the earliest post-cyclone to provide ease to the citizens. She emphasised that Banking Correspondents should be available & cash availability should be ensured, especially where ATM restoration may take time,” the finance ministry said.
In view of the cyclone, the minister emphasized the importance of bank officials collaborating with district authorities for effective coordination. Protecting documents and sensitive information was also highlighted in the meeting as a crucial priority for banks.
”Officials from banks and insurance companies assured Smt @nsitharaman that all necessary steps would be taken to effectively mitigate any potential damage and will ensure quick restoration of banking services,” the ministry said.
Meanwhile, with cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ likely to make landfall near Jakhau Port in Gujarat’s Kutch district on Thursday, the state administration has shifted more than 74,000 people living near the coast as a precaution and deployed disaster management units for rescue and relief measures, said officials on Wednesday.
With the cyclone in the Arabian Sea barrelling towards the Gujarat coast, parts of the Saurashtra-Kutch region received heavy rains accompanied by strong winds, the Met department said.
This will be the second cyclone to hit the state in two years after ‘Tauktae’ in May 2021.
According to the IMD, cyclone ‘Biparjoy’ would make landfall near Jakhau Port on Thursday evening as a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ with maximum wind speed reaching up to 150 kilometres per hour.
Of the total 74,345 people moved to temporary shelters in eight coastal districts, nearly 34,300 were evacuated in Kutch district alone, followed by 10,000 in Jamnagar, 9,243 in Morbi, 6,089 in Rajkot, 5,035 in Devbhumi Dwarka, 4,604 in Junagadh, 3,469 in Porbandar district and 1,605 in Gir Somnath district, said a release by the Gujarat government.
The impact of cyclonic storm ‘Biparjoy’ is likely to be less in the Maharashtra region, informed Sunil Kamble. IMD chief, Mumbai.
“The Cyclonic storm Biparjoy is already moving in the north direction which is away from Maharashtra so the impact will be less on the region,” Kamble told ANI.