PUNJAB GOVT HAS SO FAR DISPATCHED 4 PLANE LOADS OF 150 MT OF RELIEF MATERIAL

Chandigarh, August 20: Amid the ongoing efforts of his government, which has dispatched four plane loads of 150 MT of relief material for flood-hit Kerala over the last two days, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has appealed to all Punjabis to come forward to do their bit to help the beleaguered state cope with the unprecedented calamity.Every Punjabi should come out in support of the state government’s efforts to help out the flood-ravaged people of Kerala,

who were facing tumultuous times as a result of the unparalleled flood situation, said the Chief Minister.The appeal came even as an official spokesperson disclosed that three plane loads carrying over 90 MT of relief material had been dispatched from Halwara IAF Station by Air Force transport aircraft.In addition, one C-17 Air Force transport aircraft carrying around 50 MT of relief material was dispatched this afternoon from Adampur IAF Station in Jalandhar.

It will undertake a second sortie on the morning of August 21 from Adampur to carry the balance 50 MT of relief material mobilized by the Jalandhar district administration.Another 120 MT of relief material has been lined up by Patiala district administration for dispatch from Chandigarh IAF Station on Tuesday, said the spokesperson. On the request of the Kerala government, the Punjab government is providing mainly ready-to-use material in the form of one kg packets of drinking water, biscuits, chana and milk powder.

The State Government has deputed IAS officer Basant Garg, along with a small team of officials at Thiruvananthapuram, to liaison with the Kerala State Government for better coordination of the relief operation, said the spokesperson.The Punjab Government would mobilize further relief material after ascertaining the specific requirements of the local administration, he added.Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had earlier announced assistance of Rs. 10 crore to the Kerala Government, including financial assistance of Rs. 5 crore which had been transferred to the Kerala CM’s fund from the Punjab Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.