Punjab announces Rs 10 cr for Kerala Flood relief

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Thursday announced Rs 10 crore relief for flood-ravaged Kerala, an official said.

While Rs 5 crore is being transferred from the Punjab Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to the Kerala Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, the remaining amount will be in the form of ready-to-eat food material and other supplies to be flown to Kerala with the help of the Defence Ministry.

An official spokesperson said the first Air Force sortie was expected to take off on Saturday to deliver 30 tonne of food items like biscuits, rusks, bottled water and milk powder to the flood-hit state.

About one lakh food packets are to be sent in the first consignment. The remaining will be dispatched as and when requisitioned by the Kerala government.

A total of four sorties, carrying 30 tonne each, would be undertaken, said the spokesperson, adding the Punjab government was pulling out all stops to ensure timely relief measures for the crisis-hit state.

The Punjab Financial Commissioner Revenue had earlier spoken to his Kerala counterpart to assess the situation and the kind of support required by the Kerala government to deal with the unprecedented flood situation.

Meanwhile, acting on the Chief Minister’s appeal, members of the Punjab IAS Officers’ Association have decided to donate a day’s salary to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to support the Kerala relief measures. (IANS)