PM reschedules loan repayment

NEW DELHI, Nov 11 (PTI, UNI) — The Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, today directed rescheduling of repayment of Rs 104 crore loan by Orissa in view of the devastating super cyclone as the state Chief Minister, Mr Giridhar Gamang, sought Central assistance of Rs 10,000 crore for rehabilitation in the affected areas.

Mr Vajpayee’s directive came on a request by Mr Gamang, who met him this evening and submitted a report on the relief operations and the situation in the worst affected areas.

"The repayment of loan liability by Orissa is being rescheduled at the Prime Minister’s directive", an official spokesperson said.

Emerging from his meeting with Mr Vajpayee, Mr Gamang told reporters that the Prime Minister had agreed to provide wheat at Below Poverty Line (BPL) rate to the affected people. The government had earlier decided to supply rice at the BPL rate to the victims of the cyclone in 12 districts.

Mr Gamang, in the capital for the first time since the super cyclone of October 29, separately met the Defence Minister, Mr George Fernandes, who heads the high-powered task force set up to prepare a comprehensive rehabilitation and reconstruction plan in the cyclone-hit areas.

Mr Fernandes along with the task force members will visit the state tomorrow for assessing the damage.

Meanwhile, a report from Bhubaneswar said the death toll in the October 29 super cyclone that devastated coastal Orissa has mounted to 7,626 with 152 more casualties reported from Cuttack, Kendrapara and Balasore districts.

According to revenue control room sources here today, 80 more deaths were reported from Kendrapara, taking the toll to 242 in the district. Fortynine casualties were reported from Cuttack district (total deaths 378) and 23 from Balasore district (total deaths 50).

However, Jagatsinghpur district continued to head the casualty chart with 6,383 deaths, which, the sources said, could rise further.

The official death toll in the cyclone was put at 7,474 yesterday with the staggering recovery of nearly 4,000 bodies.

Two more Army columns have been sent to Puri district of Orissa to beef up relief and rehabilitation operations as several more columns were being relocated to meet the requirements on ground.

The Army, which has so far managed to rescue about 21,500 people and distributed nearly 3,500 tonnes of food and relief material, was also planning to send two additional field medical teams to Orissa, an Army release said in New Delhi.

Under Operation Sahayta, Army engineers had so far cleared 1,642 km of road for traffic and was assisting in widening of National Highway Number Five at one of the worst affected areas of Soro, the release said.

Generators had been provided to Indian Oil Corporation to run its plant near Bhubaneswar. Engineers were also assisting in making water pumps and tubewells operational in Kendrapara and Patamundai.

With more areas becoming accessible, the Army was giving priority to clearing of interior roads and rail tracks, distributing water and food, and providing medical treatment.

The Bharatiya Janata Party will launch a 15-day countrywide drive from November 15 to raise funds and material for the cyclone victims.

Relief for cyclone victims
From Tribune Reporters

PATIALA, Nov 11 — A convoy of trucks carrying clothes, shawls, quilts, rice, wheat along with other eatables donated by the people of the district left for the cyclone-hit regions of Orissa yesterday.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Jasbir Singh Bir, flagged off the convoy from the polo grounds.

Mr Bir said not only social agencies but also private entrepreneurs and schoolchildren had come forward to help. A truck of Bakeman's biscuits, milk powder and clothes donated by schoolchildren were the highlights of the relief. The District Grievances Redressal Officer, Mr Tej Partap Phaluka, accompanied the convoy.

FATEHGARH SAHIB: To provide succour to the people of Orissa relief material loaded in 15 trucks were flagged off by Mr V.K. Janjua, Deputy Commissioner, from Madhopur Chowk on Wednesday.

According to him, 15 trucks, five were loaded with rice and the remaining 10 trucks carried blankets, bed sheets, durries, quilts, clothes, utensils, footwear, candles and soap, etc. Cloth worth Rs 1.25 lakh, biscuits, tea bags, rusks, roasted grams, tins of ghee, pulses, sugar and jaggery were also sent in the trucks.

The relief material were donated by philanthropists and residents in the district.

HOSHIARPUR: Mr Iqbal Singh Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner, here flagged off a convoy of 13 trucks carrying rice, potatoes, tea, match boxes, milk powder, pulses, clothes, including sarees and lungies, blankets, groundnut, onion and sugar on Wednesday for the cyclone victims.

The DC said more edible goods and clothes would be sent in future. He appealed to the people to donate generously for the victims.

FARIDKOT: The district administration on Wednesday sent 15 truck loads of essential commodities, including wheat flour, clothes, tea leaves for the cyclone affected people of Orissa.

KAPURTHALA: The district administration on Wednesday sent 15 trucks loaded with rice, clothes, woollen blankets and biscuits to cyclone affected people of Orissa. Mr V.K. Singh, Deputy Commissioner, flagged off the trucks.

Mr Parminder Singh, Assistant Commissioner (General), along with police guards accompanied the trucks.

NAWANSHAHR: As many as nine trucks containing clothes, blankets, shoes and other items worth Rs 10 lakh have been despatched on Wednesday, for the cyclone victims.

Dr Roshan Sunkaria, Deputy Commissioner, while flagging off the relief trucks thanked the people, panchayats, social, religious, traders and educational institutions of the district for coming to the aid of the cyclone victims. Students of the local Shivalik Public School and employees of Punjab National Bank contributed sweaters and Rs 11,000 for the cyclone affected people, according to an official press note.

ROHTAK: The district administration on Wednesday despatched the first consignment worth Rs 16 lakh for the cyclone-hit people of Orissa.

The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Rajesh Khullar, sent as many as eight trucks loaded with foodstuff, clothes, medicines to Ambala. The accumulated relief material would then be sent to Orissa by the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala.

The DC said a truck full of relief material had already been despatched by the district Red Cross Society. It contained 200 blankets, 200 mats, 10 quintals of wheat and medicines worth Rs 5.36 lakh. The local Jain Samaj contributed five trucks carrying 268 bags of groundnut and 73 bags of grain. One truck containing 7 tonnes of biscuit, 172 blankets and 10 bundles of cloth worth Rs 2.28 lakh by Shourie Cloth Market and 2 tonnes of biscuit by the Dairy Association had also left for Ambala.

Mr Mahadev Prasad Goyal, president, Food Grain Dealers Association has donated Rs 75,000, while Rs 60,000 has been donated by the Excise and Taxation Department and the Zila Udyog Kendra. Naresh Publishing and Printing has donated 100 bundles of cloth and 14 cartons of biscuits.

FATEHABAD: Members of the Mahila Sahayatarth Samiti collected 30 quintals of wheat and rice and have sent it to Orissa.

Meanwhile, the Deputy Commissioner, Mr Anil Malik said 14 truck loads of relief items were being sent to Orissa from the district. These included cereals, gur, clothes, blankets, besides medicines, shoes, slippers. These trucks were being sent to Ambala from where the Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, would flag them off for Orissa.

Various social and religious organisations of the district have come forward to provide relief for the cyclone victims.

KURUKSHETRA: The Deputy Commissioner, Mrs Jyoti Arora, flagged off 20 truck loads of essential commodities worth Rs 25.50 lakh for the cyclone-hit people of Orissa here, on Wednesday.

Mrs Arora said 20 trucks containing gur, groundnut and gram, clothes and kheel, rice, cheevra, potatotes, flowers, medicines and milk powder. A sum of Rs 4.40 lakh would be spent on diesel for transporting the relief material, she added.

PANIPAT: As many as 11 trucks carrying relief material for the cyclone victims of Orissa were despatched by the district administration, on Wednesday. The Deputy Commissioner, Mr Sandeep Garg, said the relief cargo consisted of rice, blankets, medicines, gur and other eatables.

KAITHAL: Relief material, including medicines and foodstuff worth Rs 12 lakh, has been sent for the cyclone victims.

The Deputy Commissioner, Dr Mahaveer Singh, said 13 truck loads had already left for Orissa on Tuesday.

A delegation of the local unit of Indian Medical Association gave medicines worth Rs 51,000 to the Deputy Commissioner for cyclone victims.