UTTARKASHI: The Prime minister, P.V Narasimha Roa, Wednesday said Sunday’s devastating earthquake had raised Several question about the Tehri Project.

Answering questions at a news Conference here after visiting the quake-hit areas, Narasimha Rao Said “I cannot say one thing or the other, Ail that is possible to say at this point of times that the earth Quake had raised certain questions which must be discussed”.

It will be possible to say something only after consultations with experts, the Prime Minister said.

The Union deputy minister for commerce, Salman Khurshed, after his return from a tour of the affected areas Tuesday had ruled out the possibility of the Centers stand on the Tehri project being revised.

According 10 a report from Lucknow, the toll in the quake has mounted on 1,500.

Official sources, including the UP relief commissioner however, stuck to Tuesdays casually fig ureof672andsaidnofreshreports had been received from the tremor-hit areas.

PM GIVES RS 80 LAKH: The prime Minister Wednesday

 handed over Rs,80 lakh from the Prime Ministers relief fund to the UP chief minister, Kalyan Singh, for immediate relief to the quake victims.

The Prime Minister said more help would be given to the state govt after assessing the extent of damage.

Rao, who visited some of the quake hit areas and made an aerial survey of the region, told reporters that the Center would give all possible assistance to the state authorities to alleviate the sufferings of the people who had experienced the wrath of the Sunday night earthquake.

The Center has already sanctioned Rs.20 lakh to the Red Cross Society, bringing the total  amount of assistance 10 Rs.1 core.

The UP, chief minister accompanied the Prime Minister in New Delhi on the latter’s request for a thorough discussion on the relief and rehabilitation operation in the region.

The Prime Minister, who extended his short visit to the region by two hours to enable him to have discussions with different sections of the people, is holding high level meeting in New Delhi to take stock of the situation and discuss ways and means to provide relief to the quake victims.

In the next one or two days, the Center and the state would coordinate their effort for relief and rehabilitation operations, the Prime Minister said.

Rao, who was accompanied by the governor, B.Satya Narayana Reddy, the former chief minister, N.D.Tiwari and the Congress general secretary, H.K.L.Bhagat, said he had come to identify, the priority areas, especially because winter was setting in and there was an urgent requirement of woolen clothes and tents for the affected people.

Article extracted from this publication >> November 1, 1991