Himalayan tragedy:Bihar to send team to U'khand for assistance

With more than 300 pilgrims from Bihar believed to be stranded in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today decided to a send a team of senior officers to the Himalayan state for assistance.
The CM held a meeting with senior officers, including Chief Secretary A K Sinha and state police chief Abhyanand, and decided to send a state team to coordinate relief of pilgrims hailing from the state, an official statement said.
He also announced Rs 2 lakh assistance, Rs one lakh from state government and an equal amount from CM Relief Fund, to family of people of the state who lost their lives in the floods and landslide in Uttarakhand.

A helpline has been established in state disaster management department having telephone number 0612-2217305 to provide relevant information about Uttarkhand victims.
The CM asked the Chief Secretary to get in touch with his Uttarakhand counterpart to send a team of doctor and medicines for victims. He asked him to regularly monitor the relief work for Bihar people being carried out there.
On instruction of the CM, control room has been established in district headquarters to provide information about people who had gone to Uttarakhand.

Elaborate arrangements have been made in district hospitals for treatment and counselling of people on return to their native places, a release said.

Former Bihar Health Minister Ashwani Choubey was among natives of Bihar being trapped in flash floods, rains and landslide in the Himalayan state. Choubey along with his family and children has been airlifted and brought to Delhi.
Five members of his group, including two kins, security guard and personal assistant, were still missing and feared killed.