Amarinder appeals to Punjabis to support relief efforts in rain-hit Kerala

Days after announcing Rs 10 crore relief to rain-ravaged Kerala, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh appealed to all Punjabis to come forward and do their bit to help the southern state cope with the unprecedented calamity.

The death toll in Kerala has mounted to 216. Even as rains abated and rescue operations were in the final stages, the flood-hit state was faced with the gigantic task of rehabilitating lakhs of people rendered homeless and preventing outbreak of diseases.

Over 7.24 lakh displaced people have been sheltered in 5,645 relief camps dotting the state.

"Every Punjabi should come out in support of the state government's efforts to help out the flood-ravaged people of Kerala, who were facing tumultuous times as a result of the unparalleled flood situation," Amarinder Singh said.

Three planeload of over 90 MT of relief material has been dispatched from Halwara IAF Station by the Air Force's transport aircraft, an official spokesperson said here.

In addition, one C-17 Air Force transport aircraft carrying around 50 MT of relief material was dispatched this afternoon from Adampur IAF station in Jalandhar.

It will undertake a second sortie tomorrow morning from Adampur to carry the balance 50 MT of relief material mobilised by the Jalandhar district administration, he said.

Another 120 MT of relief material has been lined up by Patiala district administration for dispatch from Chandigarh IAF Station on Tuesday, the spokesperson said.

On the request of Kerala, the Punjab government is providing mainly ready-to-use material in the form of one kg packets of drinking water, biscuits, 'chana' and milk powder.

The state government has deputed IAS officer Basant Garg, and a team of officials at Thiruvananthapuram, to liaison with the Kerala government for better coordination of the relief operation, the spokesperson said.

The Punjab government would mobilise further relief material after ascertaining the specific requirements of the local administration, he said.

Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had earlier announced assistance of Rs 10 crore to the Kerala government, including financial assistance of Rs 5 crore which had been transferred to the Kerala CM's fund from the Punjab Chief Ministers Relief Fund, the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Gurdwara Prabandhak Committee, the apex religious body of the Sikhs, has despatched relief material from Amritsar for the flood victims.

MPs and MLAs of Haryana's principal opposition the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) have decided to donate a month's salary for the flood victims.

After a meeting of the working committee of INLD, the Leader of Opposition in the Haryana Assembly, Abhay Singh Chautala, said it was decided that relief would be provided to the flood victims in Kerala.

Chautala said the party MPs and MLAs will not only donate a month's salary to the Kerala CM's relief fund, but will also raise funds from the district units of the party as well as from the public.