Nepal Earthquake: 'Immediate Steps Were Taken by Government,' Says Home Minister

New Delhi: Home Minister Rajnath Singh today made a statement in the Lok Sabha on rescue operations launched by India in earthquake-hit Nepal. Here are the highlights:

• Just 5 minutes after the earthquake, I was with the PM
• He called and said, there will be a meeting at 3 PM
• I am happy that he knew of the incident before me and took swift action
• People in both Nepal and India who have been affected will be helped by our government
• PM spoke with 11-12 chief ministers immediately after the quake
• We decided that states bordering Nepal should send buses for evacuation
• PM has also given a nod for priority visa for those who want to evacuate
• Immediate steps were taken by the government of India under the leadership of PM Modi after earthquake in Nepal
• 4 NDRF teams have been sent to Bihar and one NDRF team is operational in Uttar Pradesh
• We are in constant touch with the state governments, PM is personally monitoring the situation
• We are in constant touch with state governments and have assured all help to them