The state government launched relief operations on a war footing on Wednesday morning to disburse food and shelter to the storm-struck.

“A number of houses were damaged in the thundershower. Dry food and relief materials have been sent. A list of the damaged houses is being compiled,” chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said at Writers’ Buildings on Wednesday afternoon.

The state government has already disbursed 500 pieces of tarpaulin, 70 kg of chirey and 35 kg of molasses for distribution in the affected areas.

“A five-member team from the state relief department was despatched on Wednesday morning. It is sending us regular reports and helping distribute relief,” said Trilochan Singh, relief secretary. Relief minister Hafiz Alam Sairani, who is away, is due back on Thursday.

The department estimates that at least 500 houses have been damaged. “Though some people have been left homeless, there was no need for opening a relief centre,” Singh added. The government will sanction Rs 2,000 for fully damaged houses and Rs 1,000 for those partly damaged.

However, minister Mohammad Salim said nearly 800 houses have been damaged, some of them heavily. “I have spoken to a number of people whose houses are still intact and urged them to take special care of the Higher Secondary examinees in their area,” Salim said.

If the Left Front government sprung into action, so did Sudip Bandopadhyay. Meeting the chief minister at Writers’ (flouting a Trinamul Congress directive), Bandopadhyay urged Bhattacharjee to visit the affected areas. “He was not prepared to because of political compulsions before the elections. However, I told him that a natural calamity like this must be considered above politics,” he said.

“I will request mayor Subrata Mukherjee to exempt the storm-affected from paying civic taxes,” Bandopadhyay added.