'Centre should coordinate with U'khand, HP for relief efforts'

Naidu says BJP ready to extend all support to the government in dealing with the calamity

Terming as a "national calamity" the devastation caused by rains and floods in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, BJP today asked the Centre to properly coordinate with the state governments to provide relief and rehabilitation to the affected.

"We express serious concern over the devastation in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. We urge the government to have proper coordination with the state governments and do whatever is needed to provide relief and rehabilitation to the flood-affected people," BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said.

He said BJP will extend all support to the government in dealing with the calamity.

"This is a national calamity," Naidu, who is also chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs, said.

Noting that disaster management comes under the Home Ministry, he said the Parliamentary Panel would ask the Home Secretary to depose before it and inform it of all the steps taken to deal with the crisis in the two hill states.

Rescue and relief operations were intensified on a massive scale in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand as multiple agencies evacuated the worst-affected Kedarnath town and other areas yesterday even as the death toll is feared to be in several hundreds.

Thousands of people were still said to be stranded in various parts of the state that was hit by cloudburst and floods in the upper reaches that left several hundreds of homes, rest houses and buildings in ruins and thousands of people missing.

The official death toll still stood at 150 but state Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna said the casualties could run into several hundreds which will be known only when areas become accessible and water recedes.