PM sanctions Rs. 10 cr.

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JAN. 27. The Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, has given an immediate assistance of Rs. 10 crores from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund to the Gujarat Government for speedy relief and rescue operations. The Centre has also assured the State that there shall be no holding back in providing any further aid it required for purchasing relief materials.

Briefing mediapersons, the Agriculture Secretary, Mr. Bhaskar Barua, said, the Government has accepted the offer of a squad of specially trained sniffer dogs from Switzerland to smell out human beings trapped under rubble and from Germany for heavy equipment to lift up to 40 tonnes of concrete slab to clear debris. It has also said `yes' to the United States offer to send communication equipment and helicopters. The International Red Cross is also sending a self-contained mobile hospital and medical team.

A team of 60 doctors have been rushed from Delhi for Bhuj and Ahmedabad, while the Indian Red Cross has been asked to supply blood and medicines. The Indian Airlines today operated one flight to Bhuj civil airport which is said to be functional. IA and its subsidiary have decided to carry free of cost all relief materials to the quake-hit areas and operate additional flights. It operated to Ahmedabad and Jamnagar from Delhi and Mumbai today.

The Crisis Management Group chaired by the Cabinet Secretary, Mr. T.S.R. Prasad, which met here twice today, has focussed its attention on Bhuj which is scarce in resources and which has been worst hit. The ever dependable armed forces have pitched in a big way. While about 4,700 Army personnel were engaged in relief and rescue operations, additional food packets, blankets, tents and generator sets have been flown by the Air Force in 50 sorties. The Prime Minister has directed that any of the quake victims who want to be flown out of Bhuj to Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Jamnagar or Rajkot should be flown free of cost on the Air Force aircraft. This will ease some of the strain on the lone military hospital which is functional in Bhuj. The civil hospitals are not operational.

Meanwhile, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Mr. Krishan Kant, and the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, Mr. Balayogi, today jointly appealed to MPs to donate Rs. 10 lakhs each and also one day's salary for the quake victims.

An official spokesperson here denied that the Beating Retreat function to be held here on January 29 had been cancelled.

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