MP sends spl team to rescue pilgrims stranded in Uttarakhand

A seven-member special team from Madhya Pradesh today reached Dehradun to coordinate with Uttarakhand officials for relief and rescue operation for nearly 3,000 pilgrims of this state stranded in the rain ravaged hill state.
The decision to dispatch the special team, led by public relations minister Laxmikant Sharma, was taken by state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan yesterday after visiting Haridwar and having a word with his Uttarakhand counterpart Vijay Bahuguna, official sources said.
The team comprising officials and doctors will set up a control room for people from MP at Haridwar and extend all possible assistance to them for retuning home.

After reviewing updated information from Uttarakhand at the emergency meeting called by Chouhan, the government decided to send the special team.
Expressing solidarity with affected people, Chouhan said the state government will extend every possible cooperation at this hour of crisis. He appealed to the relatives of devotees who have gone to Uttarakhand to be patient while assuring that they will leave no stone unturned in bringing back the pilgrims safely.
He also directed to consider possibility of deploying private helicopters, if required.

Madhya Pradesh team will remain in touch with local administration and disaster management teams. Chouhan directed to set up temporary camps for affected persons of the state at Gayatri Peeth, Patanjali Peeth and other places, sources said.

The CM also held discussions with Pranav Pandya of Gayatri Peeth and Baba Ramdev of Patanjali Peeth and urged them to extend every possible assistance to affected persons.
The special team sent from MP comprises senior IAS officer Sanjay Goyal (mob no. 0719007400), senior IPS official Pramod Verma (mob no. 09752271777), Umashankar Bhargava (09425168757), tahsildar Chandrashekhar Shrivastava (09425493131), company commander Ranjit Rathore and personal assistant to public relations minister Dighendra Bhargava (09425026197), sources said, adding that affected persons can contact these officials for immediate help.