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Rs 150 crore rehabilitation package
for Gujarat

Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Wednesday morning announced in the Lok Sabha a Rs 150 crore [Rs 1.5 billion] rehabilitation package for the victims of Gujarat riots.

Intervening in the debate on the censure motion on Gujarat, he said that the revival of normal economic activities in the violence-hit areas now remained primary national task.

He emphasised the need for rehabilitation of those who had lost their homes, belongings and means of livelihood.

Vajpayee said the spirit of spontaneous support demonstrated by all sections of the society in Gujarat in the aftermath of the earthquake in January last year "has to be kindled once again".

The package would include assistance for reconstruction and repair of damaged houses and shops, both in rural and urban areas and to those self-employed people who had lost their earning assets, he said.

It would include revival of educational, medical and other institutions in the affected areas and special programmes to benefit widows and children, the prime minister said.

For this, he said, the Cabinet Secretariat had been asked to monitor the work of implementation on a weekly basis.

The package would be "fully supplemented" by loans and assistance from banks and financial institutions on liberal and concessional terms, he said.

He said HUDCO and the National Housing Bank would be enlisted for building and reconstruction of houses and shops.

Similarly, financial institutions would be asked to catalyse industrial and economic activities, he said, adding that in this endeavour, the National Minorities Finance and Development Corporation would be asked to play a supportive role.

He held out the assurance that convergence of employment and welfare schemes like the Prime Minister's Rozgar Yojana and Sampoorna Gramin Rozgar Yojana would be promoted where necessary.

It would be ensured that no one affected by the communal riots was left out of this relief and rehabilitation package, Vajpayee said.

This package was in addition to the one announced during his visit to Ahmedabad on April 4, he added.

PTI

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