The flood situation in the state of Orissa is grim. Incessant and torrential rains coupled with discharge of water from Hirakud Dam worsened the situation. All major rivers in the state are in spate. Areas which have been affected are Jajpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Puri, Bhubaneswar, Balasore and Bhadrak.

The Army authorities in close interaction with civil administration launched a massive rescue and relief operation. The Army aid was requisitioned on July 16 last. As Army was already geared up with flood relief schemes due to onset of monsoons, three Army columns were immediately rushed by road on 16/17 July itself. Keeping in view the grim situation, one engineer column with equipment was airlifted from Gwalior. Subsequently, two additional engineer columns were airlifted from Bhopal to Bhubaneswar. Two engineer columns were airlifted from Allahabad and Gwalior again on July 20.

So far Army has deployed eight columns, six from the Engineers and two from the Infantry for relief operations in Khurda, Jagatsinghpur, Jajpur, Cuttack, Puri and Kendrapara in Orissa. A total of 15,527 marooned people have been rescued and 1,21,598 kg of ration has been distributed. Other relief measures included distribution of 23,660 packets of cooked food, 1300 polythene sheets and 5900 litres of kerosene oil. More than 20,000 people have been given medical attention.

Relief operations are being coordinated by the Task Force Commander, Brig D S Adhikari, Commander Bihar & Orissa Sub Area and monitored by General Officer Commanding, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Orissa Area, Maj Gen Pushpendra Singh. The Army columns are being progressively relocated based on areas identified. At present Army columns are covering the worst affected areas of Jajpur, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, Cuttack and Puri.

Lt Gen Pyar Jung Thapa, Chief of General Staff, Royal Nepal Army was on a seven-day good will visit to India. He called on the Chief of the Army Staff, the Defence Secretary, the Vice Chief of the Army Staff, the Director Generals of Military Intelligence and Military Operations and had wide ranging discussions.

The Chief of General Staff, Royal Nepal Army also visited National Defence College and had discussions with the Commandant.

- PIB (DW)

A seven-member team of the Adventure Club of the office of Principal Controller of Defence Accounts, New Delhi undertook 15-day trekking expedition to Panch Kedar in Himalayas. Mr TR Shivasubramanian, Secretary, Department of Finance in the Ministry of Defence flagged off the team. Speaking on the occasion, he appreciated the efforts of the Adventure Club in organising such expeditions.

In the past, the members of Adventure Club had successfully undertaken expeditions from Leh to Badrinath, Badrinath to Kathmandu and from Pashupati Nath to Kala Patthar.

The Airport Authority of India maintains a civil enclave at Port Blair airport. The Airport Authority of India has recently constructed a new terminal building to cater to 400 passengers at the cost of rupees 19.83 crore. The work for extension of runway to 11,000 feet by the Andaman and Nicobar administration is in progress and is likely to be completed by March, 2002. These facilities are considered adequate to cater to the traffic demand expected.

This information was given in Lok Sabha by the Minister of Civil Aviation, Mr Sharad Yadav in a written reply to a question by Mr Chandra Vijay Singh.

- PIB

To achieve self-reliance in the crucial section of Defence production, it is considered necessary that all technical and managerial resources, both in the public as also in the private sectors, are harnessed particularly when private sector has already demonstrated its capabilities in various Defence-related fields. Opening of this sector to private participation is expected to reduce incrementally and over-time existing dependence on Defence-related imports by the infusion of capital and technology. Indian private industry has also been consistently advocating that they be permitted greater participation in the country’s Defence production.

This policy of opening Defence industry sector to private entrepreneurs has been announced only recently. It is yet too early to expect any concrete investment proposals in the field. Security concern will always be addressed through the licensing procedure, control over sales and also in the field of export.

This was stated by the Defence Minister, Mr Jaswant Singh in reply to Mr Naresh Puglia and
Mr Kharabela Swain in Lok Sabha.