labels: economy - general, governance
PM announces Rs 106 crore relief for Keralanews
Our Economy Bureau
01 January 2005

Kochi: Prime minister Manmohan Singh has announced a Rs106 crore assistance to Kerala from the ''national calamity contingency fund'' to immediately tide over the devastation caused by tsunami. He said the government will work towards developing an effective early warning system for natural calamities like the devastating tsunami and seek international assistance if required.

Addressing a press conference after touring the tsunami-affected areas, Singh also clarified the conflicting reports on the quake alert issued this morning which had sent fresh waves of panic in the coastal belt. "We took precautions and an alert warning was issued," he said, adding "the moral is that we need to develop an early warning system and if necessary, seek international assistance in this regard."

The prime minister said that several countries have offered assistance and US president George Bush and several other world leaders had spoken to him personally. He said he had thanked these leaders but told them that "As of now, we have adequate resources to meet this challenge. If and when we need their help, we will inform them."

Asked about leader of opposition L K Advani''s suggestion about providing insurance cover to the people affected by such disasters, especially the fishing community, the PM said, "we are willing to consider all innovative measures to provide more effective protection for natural disasters. We are open to all suggestions, including insurance mechanism, to tackle such grave national crisis."

He said that the government had planned to set up a national disaster management agency to strengthen the capacity of states and districts to deal with such disasters and would look at all possible dangers and work out an effective contingency programme. Asked about problems faced by tourists who have lost their travel documents and were awaiting evacuation, the PM said some difficulties have been faced by them in Andaman and Nicobar islands.

"We have mobilised all our resources and that problem has been effectively sorted out," he said, adding that the government would take a "humanitarian view" and not allow legal proceedings to come in the way. The PM also made it clear that the government would not allow legal formalities come in the way for facilitating the return of international tourists who might have lost their travel documents. "If there is lack of documents, we will take a humanitarian view and not allow legal formalities to affect adequate response to the challenge that we face," Singh said.


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PM announces Rs 106 crore relief for Kerala