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'Clinton eager to meet quake victims'

"Bill Clinton is eager to meet quake victims. He wants to meet as many of them as possible," Mike Patel told rediff.com talking about the former US president's proposed visit to Gujarat in the first week of April.

Mike Patel is one of the founders of the American India Foundation, which was formed to help out the victims of the Gujarat quake.

He is also commissioner of the Presidential Advisory Commission to improve the quality of life of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

He arrived in Gandhinagar on Wednesday from the US to give final touches to the details of Clinton's Kutch visit on April five.

"We're flying to Bhuj along with his security team on Thursday and will drive around the affected areas of Kutch in preparation to his visit," Patel said.

Prominent Indian Americans like Dr Kiran Patel, H R Shah, Anita Gupta, Sudhir Parikh and Dr Bhupi Patel are expected to accompany Clinton on his Kutch visit.

According to Raju Bhatt, India-based co-ordinator of the foundation, "AIF is an umbrella organisation of various US-based organisations who want to help the quake victims in Kutch."

Clinton will arrive in Bombay on April 3 where he will be hosted by Dhirubhai Ambani of Reliance Industries Limited. Bhatt told rediff.com that this part of the visit would be a private one.

He will fly to Gandhinagar on April 4.

On his arrival, he will meet Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel and later representatives of non-government organisations. He will visit Bhuj on April 5 and, in the evening, address a press conference in Gandhinagar.

In the press conference, Clinton is expected to announce an aid package for 40 villages in Kutch on behalf of the AIF, which has already collected $20 million through various programmes in six cities in the US and expects to collect another $30 million for quake relief.

According to sources in Gandhinagar, Clinton will be treated like a state guest by the Gujarat government.

Clinton will stay in the Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay and at the Taj Residency in Ahmedabad.

Yogesh Desai, Director of Corporate Communications at RIL told rediff.com, "Though Clinton's programme in Bombay is yet to be finalised, we have been getting calls requesting for invitations to join the dinner with Clinton."

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