Sonia, Rahul flag off relief material for Uttarakhand

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New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi and party Vice President Rahul Gandhi today flagged off relief material for the victims of flash floods in Uttarakhand. Top Congress leaders were present at the AICC headquarters where Gandhi and her son Rahul flagged off 24 truckloads of relief supplies in addition to the 125 trucks already sent to Dehradun. 
Besides the Gandhis, leaders present on the occasion included Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Road Transport Minister Oscar Fernandes and, political secretary to Congress President Ahmed Patel, AICC General Secretaries Ambika Soni and Ajay Maken.
Uttarakhand floods: Toll may cross 5,000
This was Rahul Gandhi's first appearance since the natural calamity struck Uttarkhand as he was abroad. AICC treasurer Motilal Vora and AICC general secretary and in-charge of Congress President's Office Ambika Soni had visited Uttarakhand to oversee relief operations and coordinate with state Congress units which have been sending relief materials.
Congress has set up a control room at Dehradun to accelerate the relief work. AICC Secretary Sanjay Kapoor and the party's wing Seva Dal's chief Mahendra Joshi have already been sent to Dehradun to monitor the work.
Next: Day is for operations, nights for strategy sessions in U'Khand

Day is for operations, nights for strategy sessions in U'Khand
Gauchar (Uttarakhand): After tiring rescue operations in the day, officials of the IAF, Army and ITBP get together at the dining table at night to chalk out strategy sessions for the next day and discuss the challenges the weather will pose to them in their mission in Uttarakhand.
A large contingent of officials from these agencies are based out here as a big and strategically important helipad has been created for the operations of multiple choppers deployed for rescue operations.
At the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) battalion centre here, force DIG Amit Prasad takes a review meeting of the entire days operations with his Commandants and junior officers just before he sits for meals on the dining table, while in the same room Garhwal DIG Amit Kumar Sinha undertakes a similar exercise with his staff.
"The day starts with what we have planned the last night. Operational issues about logistics, transport for rescued people, facilities for officials operating in this area have to be decided by the night as work starts very early the next day," Sinha said.
The Army contingent, led by their Colonel rank officials, have a camp right next to the helipad and all the personnel from various units of communications, aviation and medical gather on the table to take stock of the replenishments required and stocks depleted for the coming day. The IAF pilots are the ones who have a big map on their table looking for safe and better routes to fly the sorties beginning early morning.
"Just before dinner we brief our pilots about the safest routes that could be taken.All the pilots share their good and bad experiences about the terrain for the benefit of all others," an Indian Air Force (IAF) commander said. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has also established a communications centre here and top officials take stock of their personnel at higher reaches and reinforcements required to be sent in the next day.
"This is the norm for the last seven days here.Before we have food, we have much to talk about and discuss. The men who are tasked for rescue operations cannot talk at length the entire day and hence the dining table becomes the talking table," a senior official coordinating operations said. Gauchar has also become the base of the state administration and Garhwal commissionarate operations.
Next: Don't underestimate jawans' efforts: Chidambaram tells media

Don't underestimate jawans' efforts: Chidambaram tells media
Karaikudi (TN): Rejecting criticism of tardy relief operations in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand, Union Minister P Chidambaram has said government was making all efforts and complimented armed forces personnel for their untiring efforts in rescuing the stranded people.
"We cannot prevent a natural calamity. However, after the calamity we are working round-the-clock in rescue and relief operations...the jawans are working hard under difficult conditions....it is not like sitting in airconditioned room and writing for newspapers," the Finance Minister said.
Apparentely referring to reports that the lack of coordination was hampering relief operations in the disaster hit regions of Uttarakhand, he asked the media not to underestimate the efforts of jawans.
He was speaking after dedicating to the nation the 4th Reserve Battalion of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) campus in Amaravathipudur near Karaikudi in his Sivaganga Lok Sabha constituency last evening.
Noting that personnel of Navy, Indian Air Force, Army and paramilitary forces including the Indo-Tibet Border Police, were engaged in the relief work, he said, "We are working to rescue all the people stranded there."
Chidambaram, who was instrumental in setting up the CISF campus as the Home Minister earlier, urged the Tamil Nadu Government to utilise the services of the 4th battalion.
He thanked the state government for all the help extended by it in setting up the battalion at Amaravathipudur.
Noting that communal harmony and economic growth were the twin main policies of the Congress-led UPA Government, he expressed hope that the CISF battallion would develop the area. Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who was also present, said Amaravathypudur was an ideal location for meeting the requirements of both Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
He said the campus had solar-powered equipment which would be introduced in other campuses also.
The 100-acre campus has facilities to house 1000 personnel of the paramilitary force and equipped with training infrastructure for the CISF which is providing security to 308 vital installations.