State rehabilitation minister Suresh Dhas sent to Jammu to coordinate rescue of Maharashtra tourists

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan on Wednesday said he had sent minister of state for relief and rehabilitation Suresh Dhas to Jammu to coordinate rescue of tourists from the state stuck there due to the floods.

Chavan said a helpline will be provided and a temporary control room would also be set up in Jammu.

He urged relatives of those who are stranded in Jammu and Kashmir to inform the state administration about their kin who may need help.

"Telephone lines (in Jammu and Kashmir) are shut and communication is difficult even though the water levels are receding," he said expressing sympathy for the victims.

Chavan said the state government had already announced Rs 10 crore aid, and the state Congress had sent inflatable rubber boats and motorised boats to the flood-ravaged state.
Exact number of tourists from Maharashtra who are in Jammu and Kashmir at present is not known, he added.