Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh today announced a financial assistance of one thousand crore rupees for the earthquake affected people in Sikkim. He also assured that the central agencies like Border Road Orgainisations will help in strengthening the basic infrastructure in the state. Dr.Singh made the announcement at a meeting of high level officials of state government, army and other departments at the army cantonment in Gangtok on Thursday.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier undertook an aerial suvey of the quake affected areas in the state and also visited the injured at the STNM Hospital in Gangtok .

AIR correspondent reports Dr. Singh had arrived this morning in Gangtok in a special Indian Airforce MI-75 Chopper this morning at the Army Helipad at Libing. Later, Dr. Singh left Gangtok for Delhi by an army helicopter.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has treated 721 patients in several medical camps in Manul and Mangan areas of quake-hit North Sikkim district. The camps would continue to operate so long they were needed. An NDRF release said that, besides, the NDRF also provided 200 tents to the Mangan administration for their distribution among the earthquake victims.

Altogether 400 NDRF personnel were airlifted from Greater Noida and Kolkata and deployed in the district for rescue and relief work besides providing medical help to the injured.

AIR correspondent reports, the meanwhile life is fast returning to normal in the quake affected areas as the next tourist season in the state begins this Sunday.