New Delhi, December 26
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today spoke to the chief ministers of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Pondicherry and the Lt-Governor of Andamans and Nicobar and assured them of Centre’s assistance.
The Prime Minister expressed concern over the damage caused to life and property by the earthquake and tidal waves hitting the country’s eastern coast line and islands in the Bay of Bengal and instructed three of his Cabinet ministers — Mr Shivraj Patil, Mr Mani Shankar Aiyer and Mr Dayanidhi Maran — to visit the affected areas for expediting relief and rescue missions.
The Navy has been alerted and is ready to start relief and rescue operations.
The UPA government also dealt with the natural disaster in the diplomatic context as the Prime Minister spoke to his Sri Lankan counterpart Mahinda Rajapakse and wrote to the heads of governments of the four affected neighbours — Maldives, Indonesia, Thailand and Sri Lanka — promising all assistance in mounting relief and rescue operations.
In his telephonic conversation with the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka — the worst-affected country by the natural disaster — Dr Manmohan
Singh
offered all assistance including support from the Indian Navy for rescue and relief operations, a PMO spokesman said. Navy Chief Arun Prakash said the Indian Navy was sending ships to Sri Lanka for rescue operations.
A Crisis Management Group (CMG) met here to review the quantum of damage inflicted by the earthquake and tidal waves and finetune the relief and rescue operations strategy.
The Ministries of Defence, Civil Aviation and Shipping and the three services of the Armed Forces will be coordinating the operations with Chennai being the main operational centre.
Cabinet Secretary B.K. Chaturvedi said the meeting also discussed the steps to be taken to evacuate the tourists trapped in Port Blair in Andaman and Nicobar Islands and facilitate travel for those wishing to move out of the affected areas.
He said the government had already taken many steps to provide medicines and diesel-run power generating sets. The Air Force had been asked to airlift the relief material and Chennai would be the main operational centre.
The Cabinet Secretary said the damage caused by the tidal waves was extensive but did not provide any details. He said the Civil Aviation Ministry would run additional flights for those wanting to move out of the affected regions.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh instructed Home Minister Shivraj Patil to undertake a tour of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Andaman and Nicobar Islands hit by tidal waves and despatched Union Ministers Mani Shankar Aiyar and Dayanidhi Maran to visit the affected areas in Tamil Nadu. The Home Minister is expected to spend the next two days in the disaster-hit regions.
A PMO spokesman said the Prime Minister had deputed a team comprising Mr Aiyar and Mr Maran to visit the affected areas and oversee relief and rescue work in earthquake and tidal waves affected regions of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Pondicherry and Andamans. The PMO was in constant touch with the state governments concerned.
The PM appealed to the people in the affected areas to remain calm and seek assistance of the authorities.
