The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industries (Assocham) on Sunday sought a special aid of `10,000 crore from the Centre for rehabilitation and redevelopment work in disaster-hit Uttarakhand.
The demand is based on the recommendation of an Assocham team which surveyed the affected areas in the worst hit Rudraprayag, Uttarkashi and Chamoli districts to prepare an estimate of the devastation caused to physical infrastructure and villages by the recent natural calamity, Assocham secretary-general D.S. Rawat said told reporters here.
Wet weather and lack of heavy equipment were also coming in the way of removal of debris and disposal of bodies in Kedarghati. The lightweight equipment provided by the NDRF is proving inadequate to remove tonnes of debris in Kedarghati under which bodies may still be lying, officials said.
Paucity of foodstuff for personnel engaged in the exercise at the high altitude shrine has further complicated their task, they said.
The food stocks at the Himalayan shrine are fast running out and some of the personnel engaged in the operation are also reported to be sick.
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MBBS student found dead in U.P. district
AMITA VERMA
Lucknow, July 7
A first-year MBBS student at a private college in Moradabad district died under mysterious circumstances on the campus.
The post-mortem report revealed that she had been strangulated to death.
Neerja Bhadana, a first-year student belonging to Faridabadin Haryana, was found lying on the floor on Saturday night.
The girl was admitted to the hospital situated on the college campus where she died.
The college management has termed it an accidental death, saying that the girl fell from the fifth floor as she was sitting on the railing.
The post-mortem report on Sunday, however, found that the girl was strangulated to death and there was no fracture on the body, following which a case of murder has been lodged against unknown persons.
SSP Moradabad Rajesh Modak said that prima facie, it appeared to be an accident, but post-mortem report confirmed that it was a murder.
A case of murder against unknown persons has been lodged in Pakbada police station.