Army cordons off Bhuj
NEW DELHI, Feb 1 — As hopes of finding more survivors faded in Gujarat today, the largest rescue operation ever to be undertaken in the world, involving 22,500 troops of Indian armed forces and several foreign and Indian civilian agencies, shifted its focus to relief and rehabilitation.

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Frankly Speaking: Nation in dire distress
by Hari Jaisingh


A homeless boy, a survivor of the devastating earthquake, plays with his toy car in the city of Bhuj on Thursday. — Reuters photo

Deadline set for extricating bodies
BHUJ, Feb 1 — People in this unplanned and prosperous city are highly agitated that the authorities have done precious little to ameliorate their suffering, especially in extricating the bodies of their kith and kin from the debris.

IMA appeal for medical items
CHANDIGARH, Feb 1 — The local branch of the Indian Medical Association has appealed to the chemists, surgical suppliers and doctors of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal to get the urgently required medical items airlifted to Ahmedabad for the post-earthquake victims.

•  IMA’s medicines ‘outdated’

$ 9.42 m aid for quake victims: EU
BRUSSELS, Feb 1 — The European Commission, the executive arm of the European Union (EU), today announced a second tranche of $ 9.42 million in aid for the victims of India’s earthquake.

• Canada’s gesture to quake victims

• Bush offers aid to PM on phone

HP extends tax concessions
Ministers to donate one-month salary
SHIMLA, Feb 1 — Alarmed at the unprecedented destruction caused by the recent earthquake in Gujarat, the Himachal Pradesh Government has decided to take all necessary safeguards for buildings in the eventuality of tremors in the state, which falls in Zone 5 of the active seismic belt.

2 pc more IT surcharge levied
NEW DELHI, Feb 1 — In a bid to raise Rs 1,300 crore for relief and rehabilitation work in earthquake-devastated Gujarat, the government today promulgated an ordinance to levy a 2 per cent additional income tax surcharge.

Hindujas told not to leave India
NEW DELHI, Feb 1 — A designated CBI court today turned down a request by the three Hinduja brothers to allow them to leave India.

• Lord Levy’s role in Hinduja deal

PSEB pays workers for no work PATIALA, Feb 1 — A cash-starved Punjab State Electricity Board continues to pay wages to as many as 14,000 workers rendered idle after the construction of the Ranjit Sagar Dam, even though there is no hope that their services will be utilised for the construction of the barrage at Shahpur Kandi downstream as envisaged earlier.