Sunday, January 2 2005 18:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Port Blair: Government today (Jan 2, 2005) said the relief operation in tsunami-hit areas has been taken on war footing and the Unified Command constituted for the purpose has started working.

"We are going to have the first meeting of the Unified Command today. We have undertaken relief operations on war footing," Minister of State for Home Sriprakash Jaiswal said in Port Blair.

He said the Unified Command has been constituted as the Government has declared the relief operation as a war-like situation.

Asked how different was this Command, Jaiswal said the arrangement this time has been made taking into confidence everyone and by giving responsibility to each one expecting that all will join the relief work in full strength.

He asserted that Government would take assistance of whatever Force required to carry out the relief operation.

"Whether it be Army, Air Force, Para-military Forces, Government will take their assistance, that is why Unified Command has been formed and it is going to meet for the first time today," Jaiswal said.

He expressed confidence that by means of Unified Command, the Government will be able to provide relief to the victims more than what is expected within 3-4 days.

The Minister evaded question on the quantum of loss of life and property in Andaman and Nicobar Islands saying, "this is not the priority at this moment.

"The numbers are not important. What is important is that those who are alive and survived, they should able to get the relief," Jaiswal said adding that it is a disaster caused by the nature and not by anybody's fault.

However, he said assessment on the loss of life and property would be also be done in coming days.

"We cannot say anything about those missing but there are chances that those who are missing might have survived and we can only wait with hope, so how can we say that those who are missing are dead," the Minister said.