The Hindu : Front Page : "Declaration of national calamity will help"

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

Front Page

Front Page

"Declaration of national calamity will help"

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 30. There are gaps in the Government's relief efforts for the tsunami-affected regions of Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the Janata Dal (United) leader and former Defence Minister, George Fernandes, said here today.

Mr. Fernandes who visited the two States said here that even the erstwhile National Democratic Alliance Government had failed to implement its decision to set up a specialised disaster management machinery after the supercyclone that devastated Orissa and the Gujarat earthquake.

Fishermen along the coastal regions had lost everything in the current tsunami disaster and needed help without any further delay.

He did not think that declaration of a national calamity would mean that more work on relief and rehabilitation would be done compared to what was already being done. But that would send out the right message that the entire country was behind the victims.

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"Declaration of national calamity will help"