Ministry ordered not to allow any VIP to land in Uttarakhand

Patna, June 25: Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today said that he had asked the Uttarakhand government not to allow any

to land in the

ravaged areas in the state to pre-empt any disturbance to relief work.

"I had told Uttarakhand government not to allow any VIP except for Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, to land in the (rain hit areas of the) state to keep security forces free from attending them and (to allow them to) concentrate on relief and rehabilitation work for the pilgrims," Shinde told reporters here.

"I am happy that all VIPs followed the instruction," he added.

The Union Home Minister said he himself had made an aerial survey of the destruction without landing anywhere as also Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also made an aerial survey of the devastation caused by rain and flash floods last week.

The Union Home Minister said that situation was improving in Uttarakhand, which has been devastated by flood and landslides and relief work was going on at a faster pace.

Thousands of devotees have been evacuated from Kedarnath and Badrinath, he said adding 37 helicopters were ferrying stranded pilgrims to safety.

"First 3-4 days the situation was very grave but now the condition has improved considerably in Uttarakhand," he said.

Shinde was here on way to Supual bordering Nepal to lay foundation of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) recruits training centre in Supual and to start work on the 552 km Indo-Nepal border road. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has accompanied Shinde to Supual.

PTI