Rajnath promises all help for Kerala, MPs want foreign aid
New Delhi, Aug 30 : Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday assured a delegation of Kerala MPs that the Centre will provide all possible help after the delegation said foreign assistance should be allowed to reach the flood-ravaged state.
The worst floods to devastate Kerala in nearly a century have left 483 people dead, displaced thousands and destroyed property on a massive scale.
The Minister's assurance came after 11 Kerala MPs belonging to the Congress, CPI-M, RSP, Kerala Congress (Mani) and an independent apprised him about the situation in the state and demanded more support from the Modi government.
The MPs urged Rajnath Singh to allow foreign assistance to the state as the Centre, citing a 2004 government decision, had turned down a reported offer of Rs 700 crore from the United Arab Emirates.
The delegation included A.K. Antony, K.V. Thomas, K.C. Venugopal, K. Suresh, Anto Antony, M. K. Raghavan (all Congress), P. Karunakaran and P.K. Biju (CPI-M), N.K. Premachandran (RSP), Jose K. Mani (Kerala Congress Mani) and Joice George (CPI-M-backed Independent).
"A delegation of MPs from Kerala met me in New Delhi on the flood situation in the state. I assured them that the Centre was providing all possible help to Kerala," Rajnath Singh tweeted.
After the meeting, Antony said all parties are united on rebuilding Kerala.
"We have demanded more funds for the state. We also urged him to waive the restriction on foreign assistance. The Home Minister has assured us that he will speak to External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj over the issue," Antony told reporters.
The Centre has so far allotted Rs 600 crore to Kerala for flood relief.
A Union Home Ministry official said a central team was expected to visit Kerala soon to assess the damage caused and a decision on Central assistance would be taken after it submitted its report.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
