HINGALGANJ - West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Saturday rode in an auto-rickshaw to meet Cyclone Aila victims in remote areas of this North 24 Parganas district block in the mangrove forest land of the Sunderbans.

Bhattacharjee, who had been heckled and jeered by the disgruntled cyclone survivors owing allegiance to the Trinamool Congress during his June 2 visit to the block, was well received by people who showered petals and raised slogans praising the state’s Left Front government.

Hingalganj, 69 km southeast of Kolkata, has been badly mauled in the May 25 cyclone which tore through 13 of the state’s 19 districts levelling houses, uprooting trees, snapping power cables and leaving a trail of destruction.

So far, 138 deaths have been reported in the calamity from various parts of the state.

Bhattacharjee went to the remote island of Dhamakhali and travelled four kilometres in an auto-rickshaw from Sardarpara to Jogeshganj to speak to the Aila victims and hear out their problems.

He also spoke to administrative officials and asked them about relief operations.

Hingalganj legislator Gopal Gayen, who was smeared with mud by some people hours before the chief minister’s visit June 2, seemed a relieved man after the visit.

“This only proves Sundarbans is still the same. The people have not changed,” he said.

This was Bhattacharjee’s fourth trip to the affected areas in nearly three weeks.