Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday announced that the central government has decided to set up a four-member Integrated Relief Command for Andaman & Nicobar Islands in view of the situation prevailing there following the extraordinary devastation wrought by an earthquake and tsunamis.

A&N Lt Governor Ram Kapse would head the IRC as the chairman while the commander-in-chief of integrated services would be the vice-chairman and head of the operations.

The chief secretary of the Union territory will be its Member Secretary and the fourth member will be a Union home ministry official.

The IRC will organize and oversee relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction work in the Union territory.

On a visit to Andhra Pradesh, the prime minister told mediapersons in Vijayawada that two Union ministers have also been deputed to the archipelago in the Indian Ocean till the relief work is completed. 

He also intends to convene an all-party meeting in New Delhi 'in a day or two' to mobilise the 'collective will of the people' to meet the challenge.

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