India has binding responsibility to provide all help to quake-hit Nepal: V.K. Singh

Minister of State for External Affairs General (retired) V. K. Singh on Saturday said that being Nepal's neighbouring country, India would be eager to provide the maximum help required.

"Nepal is our neighbouring country. We have had historical, cultural and religious ties with them. Quite obviously, it becomes binding on us to help them in their need of the hour. A lot of people have contributed through the Indian Government, some have done the same individually or as a community. The Nepal embassy has also promised us a quicker and more efficient relief process", V. K. Singh told ANI.

Singh recently flagged off more relief materials (Nepal Bhukamp Peerito Hetu Raahat Samagri) for quake-hit Nepal. Hundreds of people are still trapped under tonnes of rubble in Kathmandu and some of the worst-affected remote mountainous areas in quake-ravaged Nepal.

India is doing everything possible to maximise the relief. More than 700 disaster relief experts drawn from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have been deployed by India, which has mounted massive relief operations as part of 'Operation Maitri'. Relief material weighing 8,200 kilos were distributed by choppers and the Indian Air Force.