PM announces Rs 500 cr flood relief assistance to Uttarakhand

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday announced Rs 500 crore relief assistance to flood-hit Uttarakhand, a day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi requested him for a liberal package to state.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday announced Rs 500 crore relief assistance to flood-hit Uttarakhand, a day after Congress president Sonia Gandhi requested him for a liberal package to state.

The advance interim assistance would be in addition to
the money given yesterday for the State Disaster Response
Fund, a PMO release said.

Keeping in view the situation arising from
unprecedented floods and landslides in state, the request made
by Gandhi for liberal Central assistance and the demand of
slightly over Rs 900 crore projected by the state government,
the Prime Minister has announced the relief assistance of Rs
500 crore, it said.

An inter-Ministerial Central team has been constituted
to visit the state to make an on-the-spot assessment of the
damages, it said.

The team would visit as soon as the state government
is ready to receive it, the release said, adding that based on
the assessment of the team, "further assistance would be
considered".

Gandhi, who made an aerial survey of the worst
flood-affected areas of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh
yesterday, spoke to Singh and sought a liberal package to the
state to tackle the situation.

Over 60 people have died and thousands rendered
homeless due to the floods in Uttarakhand.

PTI

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