Saturday, January 8 2005 17:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: Virtually setting the tone for tomorrow's (Jan 9, 2005) all-party meeting on tsunami issue, BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) today (Jan 8, 2005) raised questions over the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) Government's handling of the relief work and absence of warning about tidal waves on December 26 for which it sought an explanation.

The main Opposition party found faults in the provision of figures of actual number of casualties, prevention of panic in tsunami-hit areas and putting the official machinery into action to provide succour.

"There is a need to move away from empty and shallow exercises to address the reality of issues," senior BJP leader and head of party's Tsunami Disaster Relief Committee Jaswant Singh told reporters here after the Committee's meeting.

Terming the approach of the "officialdom" as "unfortunate", Singh alleged that a lot of "incorrect statements" were being made like drinking water supply has been restored.

Citing the case of Andaman and Nicobar Islands, he said the civil administration there was ridden with "slackness" and it was yet to re-establish itself.

The BJP leader said Andaman and Nicobar, being a Union Territory, was under direct control of the Central Government but it was not doing enough despite the entire resource being available to it.

Referring to the disaster, Singh, who visited the tsunami-hit areas between December 28 and January 6, said there was "time for issuing warning" after the earthquake occurred in Sumatra at around 5.50 hrs (IST).

"The Defence Ministry had the information (about tsunami) when Andaman and Nicobar Islands were hit and a warning could have been issued in the coastal areas of the mainland," the former Union Minister said, adding, "Government has to give an explanation".

"It is important that the Government explain where the failure of early warning lied," the BJP leader said, while noting that India had faced at least two such disasters earlier in 1983 and 1945.

On the provision of death toll, he alleged that there had been a "business of casually putting across figures of the dead."

Pointing out that on the first day of the disaster the death toll was put at 1,000, he said, "Even now, we do not have confirmed number of citizens who died."

Singh also attacked the Government for failing to "prevent panic" in the aftermath of the December 26 disaster as he recounted how during his stay in Andaman and Nicobar Islands people had been scared on a particular day by a warning issued by the Union Home Ministry.

"There is an obligation on part of the Union Government to take steps in this regard," he said.