Rehabilitation, main concern: PM

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, FEB. 1. The Prime Minister, Mr. A.B. Vajpayee, today said the Centre's Government's primary concern now was to undertake rehabilitation work on a war-footing in Gujarat.

``We have already announced a substantial financial assistance. If necessary, we will give some more money. Money will be no problem. But, the rehabilitation work will take a long time. We have to be there solidly behind the people of Gujarat during such difficult times,'' the Prime Minister told presspersons at the Chennai airport before returning to Delhi.

Pointing out that the despatch of relief supplies began 24 hours after the earthquake, the Prime Minister said, ``There is no dearth of relief materials. We are disbursing materials which have been received from all over the country, and all the States are cooperating. And we are grateful to the foreign countries also.''

To a query on whether the Union Budget would be harsh, Mr. Vajpayee shot back, ``You ask the Finance Minister. Only he can tell.''

When a reporter sought his views on the President, Mr. K.R. Narayanan's comments on the review of the Constitution, he said, ``As Prime Minister, I have nothing to say.''

Earlier, the Union Law Minister, Mr. Arun Jaitley, the State BJP general-secretary, Mr. L. Ganesan, and the MDMK general- secretary, Mr. Vaiko, called on the Prime Minister at the Raj Bhavan.

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