Home Secy reviews flood rescue, relief work

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Union Home Secretary Anil Goswami today reviewed rescue and relief efforts in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir in the wake of allegations of tardy pace of salvage operations.
The Home Secretary, who arrived here to coordinate relief and rescue work following a directive by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, took stock of the situation at a meeting held at the airport with state government officials, representatives of Army, Air Force and NDRF engaged in rescue and relief operations.
Goswami, who hails from Jammu and Kashmir, also gave directions on how to reach out to the maximum number of flood-affected people at the shortest possible time, rescue those who are still stranded at various places and provide food, water and other essential commodities to the needy, sources said.

The Home Secretary rushed here a day after Modi directed that total support be provided to the state government to deal with the natural calamity.
Chairing a high-level emergency meeting to review relief operations in the state yesterday, Modi had emphasised that immediate attention be given to providing basic necessities like food and water to the people severely affected by the calamity.
The Prime Minister has directed that top priority be given to provision of essential commodities to affected people in Srinagar town.
Earlier, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Home Secretary arrived here after he spoke to the Prime Minister requesting him to send him to oversee the rescue and relief work.

More than a lakh marooned people have been pulled out in a continuing multi-agency mammoth operation even as an estimated five to six lakh people still await help.