Railways chips in rescue efforts

The Railways has kept four trains on standby in Uttarakhand to carry rescued tourists

New Delhi: The Railways has kept four trains on standby in Uttarakhand to carry rescued tourists from flood-affected areas. Efforts are on to profile the passengers arriving at priority routes. A large number of them are from West Bengal. Special trains to Howrah and Sealdah have been planned. The Railways has deputed senior staff to liaise with state governments. Special officers have been posted at Dehradun,Haridwar,Rishikesh and New Delhi facilitate train travel for stranded passengers. Passenger help booths have been set up and are being manned round the clock. Adequate arrangement for catering facilities and drinking water has been ensured, said a senior Railway Ministry official. Doctors and paramedical staff too have been deployed.

funds to rebuild 82 roads,27 bridges

New Delhi: The Ministry of Rural Development has announced funds up to Rs 330 crore to build 82 roads and 27 bridges damaged in flash floods in Uttarakhand. The ministry is also willing to give an another Rs 100 crore to rebuild houses under its rural housing scheme. In February,the ministry had given the state Rs 472 crore to build 118 roads and eight bridges covering 1,140 km. It had sanctioned Rs 75 crore to build houses too. We have asked the state to do a damage assessment and get back to us in the next week or two on how much extra assistance for rural houses they may require. We could provide an extra Rs 100 crore, Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh said.

UP govt to ply 100 buses for pilgrims

Lucknow: The UP government has put to service 100 buses on Delhi-Haridwar-Rishikesh highway to carry flood-affected victims in Uttarakhand to safer places. While regional manager of Saharanpur depot has been told to ply 75 buses to Rishikesh,the Moradabad depot has been told to send 20 buses to Kotdwar and 10 to Haldwani. Chief Secretary Jawed Usmani said officials of Uttarakhand Roadways Transport Corporation have been told to collect pilgrims of Uttar Pradesh stranded in Uttarakhand. Meanwhile,BSP chief Mayawati requested the Centre to declare the flood as a national disaster.

UP BJP MLAs to donate months salary

Lucknow: The 47 BJP MLAs of UP Assembly will donate a months basic salary for the flood victims of Uttarakhand,said party leader Hukum Singh. The basic pay of an MLA is Rs 10,000. State BJP president Laxmikant Bajpai said the party will collect donations from the workers during Jail Bharo Andolan at all district headquarters. It will begin on June 26 and end on June 30. Bajpai said party will collect food items,essentials,and cash donations from the public and send these to Uttarakhand. ENS