CHANDIGARH:  Punjab would soon send chaff (toori) to the flood ravaged areas of Bihar. An assurance to this effect was given by the Punajb Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to his Bihar counterpart, Nitish Kumar and the Union Railways Minister  Laloo Parsad Yadav.  Badal called the two leaders over telephone to express solidarity with the flood affected people of their state.

Announcing this here today, Badal said that although Punjab too facing problems following floods in some parts of the state, "the people and the government of Punjab were guided by the message of the Gurus that taught us to work twoards the welfare of the entire mankind (Sarbat da Bhalaa). He said that consignements of animal fodder would leave for Bihar soon. There is severe shortage of animal fooder in that state following unprecedented deluge that has left vast areas completely innundated.

Badal also assured the Bihar Chief Minister that the government and the people of Punjab would stand by their Bihar brethern in their hour of adversity and would extend all kinds of assitance that the latter needed at this juncture. " We would respond to the Prime Minister's call for treating the Bihar floods as a national calamity in view of the severity, magnitude and intensity of floods there. We in Punjab know what it means to be hit by floods as we are battling with the same problem for the past few weeks. We would be acting in the greatest traditions of generosity, humane-ness and large-hearted response to other people's crises which the Punajbis are rightly famous for," said Mr. Badal in a statemnt here.

The Chief Minsiter has also assured the Government of India of all possible help in help contain the damage and destruction caused by floods in Bihar.