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Journalism of Courage
JAN 28: Money can’t buy lives. But Gujarat needs loads of it for the injured and homeless. And contributions, big and small, are coming from all quarters. BJP ministers and MLAs in Punjab decided to contribute their one month’s salary to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund to help those hit in the devastating earthquake in Gujarat, state Labour and Employment Minister Balramji Dass Tandon announced this today.
Apart from primary relief of Rs 20 lakh and other relief material, the Rajasthan government has sanctioned Rs 2 crore for the earthquake victims of Gujarat. CPI(M) West Bengal committee today donated a sum of Rs 1 lakh to the party’s central committee for the aid of the quake victims. Tribal affairs minister Jual Oram today announced a grant of Rs 1 crore from his ministry for relief operations in quake-torn areas.ØA team of 30 doctors from Haryana has been sent to Gujarat to provide medical assistance. Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala said on Sundat that the state government had also rushed material assistance of 5,000 blankets, medicines, 50 tonnes each of rice and potatoes as well as roasted gram for the affected people.
The Aga Khan has also announced a contribution of $ 5,00,000 to the Indian Government’s appeal for assistance for quake victims in Gujarat. At the Mahakumbh too, Shankaracharyas of Dwarka, Badrikashtram and Puri today appealed to the people to contribute generously.
At least 100 tonnes of food have been despatched from the Babulnath Temple in south Mumbai to Gujarat. About 10 lorries loaded with wheat, rice, bajra, flour, vegetables as well as clothes and medicines were sent a day earlier, temple trust sources said, adding that about 500 volunteers have also gone there for relief work.
Similarly, the Bombay Essential Commodity Merchants Association has collected more than Rs 1 crore from leading traders for the surviviors of the calamity.Ø
