The government said the state had received only Rs 55 crore from the Centre as against Rs 600 crore demanded by it to meet the expenditure on the damages caused to private and public property by last year's Kandla tragedy.

All that Chief Minister Keshubhai Patel told reporters at his weekly Cabinet briefing was, ``The government machinery has been geared up for relief and rescue operations in the cyclone-battered areas and the State Cabinet at its meeting today reviewed the Disaster Management Plan chalked out in the aftermath of the Kandla cyclone last year''.

The Chief Minister said in view of the fact that most of the deaths were reported off-shore, the government had directed the Ports and Fisheries Secretary A D Desai to prepare a detailed report on suggestions for a fool-proof communication network so that fishermen venturing far out into the sea could be forewarned with the help of modern equipment in future. If one goes by the logic offered by the government, there should be about 400 fishermen on-board the 80 boats still missing. However, when questioned, Industries Minister Suresh Mehta, in-charge of Kutch district, said, ``Nearly 250 fishermen are feared missing''. He added that a survey was still being carried out.

Mehta, who is camping in the affected araes to monitor the relief and rescue operations, told reporters that at least 15 of the fishermen were traced on an island off Naliya coast in Kutch. ``They refuse to be airlifted, insisting they would return only after the `Poonam' tide,'' Mehta said.

The Minister said the government would provide an assistance of Rs 50,000 for a completely damaged FRP boat and Rs 25,000 for a wooden boat. A fisherman whose trawler is partially damaged will be provided Rs 50,000 for repair work and an assistance of Rs 15,000 will be given for repairs on a wooden boat.

Mehta said over 25,000 cattle had perished in the natural calamity, and the government had decided to provide adequate financial assistance to the owners. Over 2.46 lakh people in 412 villages of Kutch district alone have been affected, with over 20,000 of them being provided shelter at 79 relief camps in the border district.