New Delhi, December 27
Tsunami tidal wave tragedy-shocked nation today began a massive rescue and rehabilitation work for the families of the victims with the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, appealing to the citizens for generous contributions to the relief fund and deciding to tour the worst-affected areas of South India for two days beginning tomorrow.

“The Prime Minister is deeply saddened by the disaster. He will see for himself the relief and rehabilitation measures as well as the crisis management initiatives where the Centre is coordinating with the states,” an official spokesperson said.

Dr Manmohan Singh would visit the affected regions of Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry tomorrow and Andhra Pradesh and Kerala on Wednesday, a Prime Ministerial aide said. He would halt at Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday night.

Tamil Nadu and the Andamans were the worst-affected by the early Sunday morning Tsunami that followed a devastating earthquake measuring 9 on the Richter Scale off Sumatra island in Indonesia and produced aftershocks that jolted as many as seven countries and left thousands dead.

Hundreds, mainly fishermen living all along the country’s East coast, were still reported missing and feared dead in Tamil Nadu and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in the Indian Ocean.

In an appeal to the nation, the Prime Minister said: “Thousands of people have lost their lives and property worth crores of rupees has been damaged. I appeal to all citizens to donate generously. The cheque or draft should be addressed to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund and should be sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, South Block, New Delhi.”

The Prime Minister also announced an ex gratia payment of Rs 1 lakh to the next of the kin of each deceased in the calamity caused by the Tsunami tidal waves on Sunday. The ex gratia payment will be made from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

A Control Room is working round-the-clock in the Union Home Ministry to monitor the relief and rehabilitation measures in the affected regions. 

The telephone nos. of the Control Room set up in Delhi are as follows:-

(011) 23092923; 23093054; 23092885; 23092763.

Thousands of the National Service Scheme (NSS) and the Nehru Yuva Kendra Sangathan (NYKS) volunteers have jumped into action and started participating in the relief and rescue work.

Meanwhile, the Congress has decided with immediate effect to donate a month’s salary of all its MPs, MLAs and MLCs to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund.

The Congress President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, will visit the affected areas of Tamil Nadu tomorrow to supervise the relief and rescue operations.

Ms Gandhi is at present visiting Andaman and Nicobar Islands, one of the worst-affected areas, along with the Defence Minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, and the AICC General Secretary, Ms Ambika Soni.

The Defence Minister is accompanied by the Air Chief — and Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee — Air Chief Marshal S. Krishnaswamy, and senior officials of the Ministry and the three Services.

During the visit, Mr Mukherjee is also likely to give requisite directions to the defence forces and other agencies engaged in the rescue.

The Vice-President, Mr Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, has contributed his one month’s salary amounting to Rs 40,000 to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund as a token of his concern for the earthquake affected people.

He condoled the loss of lives and expressed his sympathies for all those who have lost their family members and expressed great concern and distress over the destruction caused by the earthquake. He appealed to all social service organisations and people of the country to come forward with generous help and assistance in this hour of national tragedy.

The Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr Somnath Chatterjee, has donated his one month’s salary and allowances to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund.

The USA announced “immediate humanitarian” assistance of $100,000 which would go to the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, International Federation of Red Cross, Red Crescent Societies and the Indian Red Cross.

The US Ambassador, Mr David C. Mulford, told Dr Manmohan Singh that the USA was also willing to assist New Delhi in other ways as it may require.

Meanwhile, India is sending 20 tonnes of food and doctors to the Maldives to tide over the calamity caused by the Tsunami that battered the Indian Ocean nation.

The decision follows a request for assistance by the Maldivian President, Mr Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, during a telephone conversation with Mr Manmohan Singh.

India has also dispatched three naval ships to Maldives and four to Sri Lanka to help in the rescue and relief operations.