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Maharashtra, AP too offer help

Swati Kulkarni in Bombay and
Syed Amin Jafri in Hyderabad

The Maharashtra Government has sent a team of seven doctors, paramedics and Home Guards to Ahmedabad and Bhuj, following the earthquake which struck Gujarat on Friday.

The decision was taken soon after Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh met cabinet colleagues and senior government officials late on Friday evening.

The government has also decided to send medicines from Haffkine Institute and Principal Secretary to the chief minister, Johny Joseph has been told to supervise the operation.

The principal secretary has additional charge of earthquake relief and rehabilitation, a post created after the Latur earthquake of 1993.

The chief minister has also requested the Air Force and Army to provide two helicopters to the state to held in the rescue operations. Besides, he has called a meeting with industrialists and philanthropists on Monday.

Twentyone government doctors, paramedical staff and civic workers will be sent to Ahmedabad on Saturday, too. The Maharashtra Government is also sending Maharashtra State Electricity Board engineers to restore electricity.

Revenue Minister Ashok Chavan will head a core group of secretaries and senior government officials who will also look after relief measures and co-ordinate with the Gujarat Government.

Bombay has a sizeable population of Gujaratis, with many having relatives in Gujarat.

The Andhra Pradesh Government has announced an assistance of Rs 50 million for relief and rehabilitation of the earthquake victims.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, who spoke to his Gujarat counterpart Keshubhai Patel over the telephone on Friday evening, also assured all help to the distressed state. He said medicines, clothes and other essential commodities would be sent.

Naidu reviewed the situation at a high-level meeting and asked state chief secretary P V Rao to render all possible help to Gujarat. He said that the people of Andhra Pradesh shared the agony of the people of Gujarat in their hour of extreme distress.

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