Rahul Gandhi arrives in flood-hit Uttarakhand

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Monday arrived in Uttarakhand, days after floods wrought havoc in the mountainous state.

Earlier in the day, Rahul along with his mother and Congress President Sonia Gandhi flagged off trucks carrying relief materials to calamity-hit Uttarakhand.

The relief material contained food packets, medicines, blankets and clothes.

Besides the Gandhis, leaders present on the occasion included Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Road Transport Minister Oscar Fernandes and, political secretary to Congress President Ahmed Patel, AICC General Secretaries Ambika Soni and Ajay Maken.

Congress Party also has set up a control room at Dehradun to accelerate the relief work.

Earlier, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh had issued an appeal to the nation for generous donations to support the distressed fellow countrymen affected by cloud burst and floods in Uttarakhand.

Dr. Singh in his appeal urged the public to donate generously to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund (PMNRF) and actively participate in the national efforts to support the affected people.

"At this moment, affected people need our help to tide over the calamity that has fallen upon them, to survive and to rebuild their lives. I request all citizens of India to stand with our distressed fellow countrymen, and actively participate in the national effort to support them at this difficult time," Dr. Singh said.

Expressing serious concern over the entire incident, Dr. Singh announced 1,000 crore rupee disaster flood relief for the state where flash floods have claimed over a hundred lives and left thousands of pilgrims to Himalayan shrines stranded.