CABINET RELEASES RS. 500
CRORE TOWARDS NATIONAL CALAMITY CONTINGENCY FUND
CABINET COMMITTEE
CONSTITUTED TO MONITOR RELIEF & REHABILITATION
APPEAL TO THE PEOPLE TO CONTRIBUTE GENEROUSLY FOR TIDAL WAVE TRAGEDY
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The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, chaired a Union Cabinet meeting to
gauge the extent of damage caused by the tidal wave tragedy in the states of
Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and the Andaman & Nicobar islands and
Pondicherry. Briefing mediapersons on the decisions taken by the Union
Cabinet after the meeting, here today, the Finance Minister announced that
the Union Cabinet cleared the release of a sum of Rs. 500 crore towards the
National Calamity Contingency Fund (NCCF) to the affected states to
undertake relief and rehabilitation measures. The Finance Minister said that
a Cabinet Committee has been constituted to monitor relief and
rehabilitation measures in the affected states. The Cabinet Committee would
meet twice a day and would be chaired by the Prime Minister and in the
absence of the Prime Minister, by the senior most minister of the Union
Cabinet. Shri Chidambaram also made an appeal to the people on behalf of the
Cabinet to contribute generously – in cash and in kind to the Prime
Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for those affected by the tidal
wave tragedy. The Union Cabinet also decided that all members of the Union
Council of Ministers would donate one month’s salary towards the Prime
Minister’s National Relief Fund. Similarly, all Central Government
employees and those working in Central Public Undertakings/ autonomous
bodies have been exhorted to donate one day’s salary towards the PMNRF.
Shri Chidambaram informed
the mediapersons that the natural disaster caused by the Tsunami wave would
be equated with the super cyclone which hit the Orissa coast on October 31,
1999 and the package of relief would take into account the revised norms
made effective from August 1, 2001.
The Finance Minister also
informed the mediapersons that houses would be constructed under Indira
Awaas Yojana (IAY). Under the Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY), a sum of Rs. 200
crores would be released in the first instalment. The houses to be
constructed would be hazard-proof. Adequate funds would be provided directly
to the Andaman & Nicobar administration for construction of houses.
The Finance Minister said
that the Union Cabinet gratefully noted the offer of assistance by United
States, France, Israel and Greece, but expressed confidence that the
resources can be mobilised from within the country.
Shri Chidambaram also said
that an ex-gratia payment of Rs. One lakh to the next of the kin of each
deceased would be made from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund. He also
announced that all assistance would be provided to State Governments and
funds would not be a constraint for relief and rehabilitation measures.
The Union Cabinet observed a two-minute silence to mourn the loss of lives in the tidal wave tragedy.