M A I N   N E W S

International aid pours in
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Jan 28 — Several countries have rallied around India as it struggles to come to grips with the worst natural disaster in the aftermath of the massive earthquake that rocked Gujarat and other parts of the country on Friday.

International humanitarian assistance is pouring into Gujarat as authorities are working round-the-clock to provide succour to the affected people.

Agriculture Secretary Bhaskar Barua said four teams from Turkey (35 personnel), Britain (69 personnel), Switzerland (45 personnel) and Russia (70 personnel) have already arrived in Ahmedabad.

Switzerland and Britain has also dispatched specially trained sniffer dogs to trace trapped victims under the debris.

Mr Barua said although it was not the policy of the government to seek international assistance, the government was nevertheless accepting this help.

While Korea and Netherlands has sent relief supplies such as blankets, food and medicines, Germany and Japan will be sending heavy engineering equipment capable of lifting up to 40 tonnes of rubble at one time.

An IL-76 aircraft from Turkmenistan has already been sent to Gujarat.

On being asked whether any assistance has arrived from Pakistan or China, Mr Barua said the government did not have any information in this regard. However, the Aga Khan Foundation, which has headquarters in Pakistan, has offered assistance.

Relief has also come in from Australia and it has offered $ one million and will shortly send a team of disaster management experts to join the five-member team of UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination.

Similarly, the Canadian Government has pledged $1 million as assistance for relief related measures.

A consignment of 1.5 tonnes of relief material consisting of medicines and food has already reached Ahmedabad from Oman. Two additional aircraft is expected to reach Ahmedabad from Muscat tomorrow evening.

Centre gives blank cheque
From Our Correspondent

NEW DELHI, Jan 28 — The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has waived all limits for loan and overdrafting by the Gujarat Government to finance the rescue and relief operations in the aftermath of the massive earthquake that hit the state on Friday morning.

The Centre has directed the RBI not to enforce any ceiling for drawing funds for the relief operations.

“Every financial assistance that the state government wants it being given”, the Agriculture Secretary, Mr Bhaskar Barua told newspersons after the meeting of the Crisis Management Group meeting.

“A blank cheque has been given to the Gujarat Government”, Mr Barua said adding that the Centre had already released Rs 10 crore to the state government for relief operations.

“We have informed RBI that there should not be any cap on Gujarat for relief work,” he added ,noting that nothing would be allowed stand in the way if the state government required to make any relief related purchase.

He said the Centre was directing its attention to the worst-affected Bhuj because the Gujarat Government had indicated that it was being able to reach other areas but not Bhuj.