PM assures Gujarat of all assistance

[Guest guest]

PM assures Gujarat of all assistance

 

DH News Service

CHENNAI, Feb 1

 

 

Prime Minister A B Vajpayee said here today that the Centre would

provide all assistance for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of

Gujarat which has been devastated by the recent earthquake.

 

Mr Vajpayee, who was returning to New Delhi after commissioning the

country's 12th port at Ennore, 24 km from here, told reporters at the

airport that "money is no problem" nor was there a dearth of relief

materials as assistance had been pouring in not only from different

States but also from all over the world. He said the Centre, which

had already released the first instalment of aid to Gujarat, would

provide further assistance as per requirement. But rehabilitation

would take a long time, he pointed out.

 

Mr Vajpayee denied there was any confusion over coordination of

relief work by various Governmental and non-governmental agencies nor

had such relief work been hampered by the visit of VVIPs. He said the

quake was sudden and it happened on Republic Day. Even so, relief

work was launched within 24 hours.

 

Asked whether there would be a heavy dose of taxation measures in the

coming Union Budget to raise resources for the reconstruction of

Gujarat, Mr Vajpayee said this question should be addressed to the

Finance Minister.

Mr Vajpayee refused to comment on President K R Narayanan's recent

caution against tinkering with the Constitution.