DesiBaba
October 19th, 2001, 12:23 PM
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
NEW DELHI: Even while the US continues to launch strikes against
the Taliban forces, India on Friday announced a slew of measures to
help in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Afghanistan in the
post-conflict scenario.
External affairs minister Jaswant Singh, after a meeting of the Cabinet
Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Vajpayee, said India will
provide a Rs 500-crore line of credit for any "broad-based government" in
Afghanistan after the resolution of the conflict.
"The government intends to revive it support programme in Afghanistan to the
1979-level to reconstruct and rehabilitate the country," he said. India will also
help in making the Indira Gandhi hospital in Kabul operational once again, as
also revive the "Jaipur Foot" programme.
Prime Minister Vajpayee has also decided to offer as a "gift" Ciproflaxin worth
$ 1 million to the US in view of the Anthrax problem there. "The offer will be
conveyed to the US authorities through diplomatic channels," said Jaswant
Singh.
The minister said the government was fully alert to the threat of anthrax in
India and there was no need for the people to get anxious on that score. One
of the suspected anthrax-carrying letters had already tested negative. "It was
just white powder," he said.
On being asked if India's credit announcement for Afghanistan was premature
since a broad-based government was yet to take shape there, the minister
said, "It is necessary for the international community to put in place relief,
rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts now. These questions should be
addressed now instead of later."
With Pakistan citing logistical problems in transporting New Delhi's one million
tonnes of wheat assistance for the Afghan people, Jaswant Singh said the
government would now handover the aid to UN relief agencies for
transportation to the refugee camps.
NEW DELHI: Even while the US continues to launch strikes against
the Taliban forces, India on Friday announced a slew of measures to
help in the reconstruction and rehabilitation of Afghanistan in the
post-conflict scenario.
External affairs minister Jaswant Singh, after a meeting of the Cabinet
Committee on Security chaired by Prime Minister Vajpayee, said India will
provide a Rs 500-crore line of credit for any "broad-based government" in
Afghanistan after the resolution of the conflict.
"The government intends to revive it support programme in Afghanistan to the
1979-level to reconstruct and rehabilitate the country," he said. India will also
help in making the Indira Gandhi hospital in Kabul operational once again, as
also revive the "Jaipur Foot" programme.
Prime Minister Vajpayee has also decided to offer as a "gift" Ciproflaxin worth
$ 1 million to the US in view of the Anthrax problem there. "The offer will be
conveyed to the US authorities through diplomatic channels," said Jaswant
Singh.
The minister said the government was fully alert to the threat of anthrax in
India and there was no need for the people to get anxious on that score. One
of the suspected anthrax-carrying letters had already tested negative. "It was
just white powder," he said.
On being asked if India's credit announcement for Afghanistan was premature
since a broad-based government was yet to take shape there, the minister
said, "It is necessary for the international community to put in place relief,
rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts now. These questions should be
addressed now instead of later."
With Pakistan citing logistical problems in transporting New Delhi's one million
tonnes of wheat assistance for the Afghan people, Jaswant Singh said the
government would now handover the aid to UN relief agencies for
transportation to the refugee camps.