The Hindu : New Delhi News : Donations for tsunami hit pouring in

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

New Delhi

New Delhi

Donations for tsunami hit pouring in

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI, DEC. 30. As the nation tried to come to grips with the tragedy that hit the coastal regions on Sunday, people contributed generously to the victims. People from all walks of life, including political leaders, paramilitary forces and banks, made contributions towards the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.

The Union Power Minister, P. M. Sayeed, today presented a cheque for Rs. 15 crores to the Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, as a contribution of all Central power sector undertakings towards the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. A cheque for Rs 4.4 crores was presented to the Prime Minister by the Director-General of the Central Reserve Police Force on behalf of the personnel who gave a day's salary for the victims.

The DMK leader, M. Karunanidhi, gave Rs. 1 crore to the Prime Minister on behalf of his party. A delegation of Left leaders, led by Harkishen Singh Surjeet and Nilotpal Basu, presented a cheque for Rs. 15 lakhs and said Left MPs would contribute a month's salary towards the Fund.

All officials in the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region, Ministry of Youth Affairs and its associated bodies, have decided to contribute a day's salary to the Fund. The Fund will also receive a day's salary of the staff of the Coast Guards and the donations made by the working class to the All India Trade Union Congress which collected Rs. 7 lakhs on Wednesday.

Youth fete postponed

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has postponed the 11th National Youth Festival, scheduled to be held in Hyderabad from January 12 to 16 as organisations such as the Nehru Yuvak Kendra Sangathan and the National Service Scheme are involved in relief work in the coastal regions.

Contributing a month's salary towards the Prime Minister's Relief Fund, the National Human Rights Commission chairperson, Mr. Justice A. S. Anand, appealed to members and staff to make generous contributions.

A sum of Rs. 2 crores came from Andhra Bank, an equal amount from the Union Bank of India and a contribution of Rs. 1 crore from the Corporation Bank.

The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation has announced that it will support children orphaned by the tsunami. The Foundation will adopt children who have lost both parents. It will meet the cost of their schooling up to senior secondary level.

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has sanctioned 390 mega work camps to be organised by Nehru Yuvak Kendra Sangathan that will put up rescue camps, community kitchens, and reconstruct damaged houses and establish schools, health centres and other public utility services. The estimated cost of this exercise is about Rs. 1.95 crores, an official spokesperson said.

The private sector has joined hands with the Government to provide aid. Havell's India, the Indian Power Distribution Equipment Company, today gave Rs. 11 lakhs to the PM's Relief Fund. Non-government organisations, too, have volunteered to mitigate the suffering of the affected people by offering monetary and material help. The Church's Auxiliary for Social Action has announced an initial aid package of Rs. 9.05 crores for relief operations. It is assisting 50,000 families by providing food and drinking water to 30,000 families through partner institutions and organisations. It has sent dry rations to 50,000 families besides temporary shelter and essential items.

The United Nations Children's Fund has launched massive relief operations in various districts of Tamil Nadu. It has sent drinking water, bleaching powder, chlorine tablets and oral rehydration packets to Pondicherry, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Kanyakumari and other districts of Tamil Nadu and some parts of Kerala.

The Voluntary Health Association of India has sent emergency teams to the affected states. The teams consist of doctors, paramedics and volunteers along with medicine, food, blankets, plastic sheets, utensils and other essential items. The Indian Association of Tour Operators has also launched a special fund collection drive for the tsunami victims by appealing to its members to donate generously.

On Wednesday, a large number of government organisations, social groups, corporate bodies and industries, and political bodies made contributions to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund. A large number of organisations announced contribution of a day's salary of their employees towards the fund.

India's two main security organisations -- Central Reserve Police Force and Border Security Force -- contributed Rs.4.40 crores and Rs.2.57 crores respectively. A CRPF team comprising medical personnel and jawans besides companies of Rapid Action Force and Disaster Management Battalions have been helping in relief operations in different States. It has also distributed 13 tonnes of ration and tents worth Rs.42 lakhs in tsunami-hit areas. Similarly, BSF personnel are also engaged in rehabilitation work and have been collecting relief material.

Other government organisations that contributed to the Relief Fund included the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited with Rs.1 crore. In the Capital, 57,000-strong Delhi Police donated Rs.1.5 crores while the Delhi Government collected 60 tonnes of relief material including food items, medicines, clothing and blood and handed over to the central dispatching agency to be air-lifted to the affected areas. The Government has so far collected Rs.1 crore from donations.

Similarly, urging employees of all cooperative organisations to contribute a day's salary to the fund, the National Cooperative Union of India has set up relief material collection centre in Delhi while the Institution of Engineers, an association of five lakh engineers, has pledged technical support in the rehabilitation work to the Government as well as social organisations.

In the corporate sector, leading private mobile operator -- Bharti Tele-Ventures -- today said it has started process to set up Airtel's mobile & VSAT network in Andaman & Nicobar Islands by investing Rs.20 crores by March 31 next year to ensure availability of a reliable telecom network in the islands.

Besides contributing Rs.1 crore to the relief fund, its employees have also been pooling resources, both in cash as well as kind, for donation. Bharti Tele-Ventures has also set up communication centres near hospitals, police stations, temporary shelters and other public places along the coastal belt of Tamil Nadu to address the communication needs of the affected.

Similarly, Hong Kong-based Hutchison Whampoa Limited and Li Ka Shing Foundation have announced a donation of HK $ 4.8 million (approximately Rs.2.68 crores) to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund while Star News has pledged Rs.10 lakhs for relief work and has also set up a relief fund for its viewers and patrons for accepting donations.

The Students Federation of India has announced that it would collect relief material at all its centres on January 3 and 4 and has asked its volunteers to donate generously while the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee has set up relief camp at its office to collect relief material and for providing relief in affected areas.Meanwhile, the two leading credit card companies -- Visa and MasterCard -- have started emergency services for its subscribers stranded in tsunami-hit areas. In India, Visa has asked its card-holders to contact 24-hour global card-holder assistance service centre or dial 000-117-8667659644 for assistance. Similarly, MasterCard holders can contact its contact number 1-636-722-7111 for emergency services.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

New Delhi

News Update

Stories in this Section