Saturday, January 1 2005 21:53 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Centre has set up an integrated logistic arrangement under Defence Secretary to coordinate the massive relief supply to tsunami-hit three States Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Pondicherry.

This was announced by Union Cabinet Secretary B K Chaturvedi tonight after a meeting of the Group of Ministers (GoM), which was chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Chaturvedi told reporters after a two-and-half-hour meeting that Defence Secretary Ajay Vikram Singh would monitor the relief operation including supply of food, medicines, tents and clothing.

The Centre would be a despatching team to Tamil Nadu and other affected States on Tuesday (Jan 4, 2005) to look into the requirements of fishermen so that they could resume their activities, Chaturvedi said.

Observing that eight out of 38 islands in the Andaman and Nicobar region were badly hit by the Tsunami, he said that major efforts were on to restore electricity and provide drinking water and other items of daily requirement.

He expected that 80 to 90 per cent power supply to the island could be restored in the next fortnight.

Maintaining that the response to the relief measures undertaken by the Government has received a massive response, Chaturvedi said 4,000 personnel of armed forces and the paramilitary forces were actively engaged in providing succour to the victims as also in disposal of bodies.