Saturday, January 1 2005 19:23 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Chennai: Relief materials weighing about 1200 tonnes have been despatched by the Gujarat Government to help the Tsunami-hit families in the coastal districts of Tamil Nadu.

'We are tentatively planning to flag off a special train today', the Gujarat Chief Secretary, P K Laheri, told his Tamil Nadu counterpart, Lakshmi Pranesh, in a letter, an official press release said.

The Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting in Ahmedabad with various NGOs and voluntary organisations on December 29 regarding extending relief to the Tamil Nadu people, both for immediate relief and long-term rehabilitation.

Assuring that the people and the Government of Gujarat were together with the people and the Tamil Nadu Government 'in this hour of need', Laheri told Lakshmi Pranesh 'please do not hesitate to get in touch with me about any requirement that you may have'.