Chandigarh, August 23, 2019: Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder on Friday expressed concern over slow pace of resumption of electricity supply in certain flood-affected areas and asked Tripat Rajinder Sibgh Bajwa, Minister for Rural Development & Panchayats and Chairman PSPCL to tour the areas and ensure early resumption of electricity supply.
He also took stock of the progress of relief operations and asked Sundar Sham Arora, Minister for Industries and SS Channy, Minister for Technical Education to oversee operations in Ropar districts whereas Gurpreet Kangar, Revenue Minister, and Bharat Bhushan Ashu, Food & Supplies Minister will oversee operations in Jalandhar and Kapurthala.
The CM said Government of Punjab, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Army and air forces are working with urgency to carry out relief work in flood-hit areas of Punjab.
Meanwhile, to help out the flood victims, all IPS Officers of the Punjab cadre have unanimously decided to contribute a day’s salary each to the CM Flood Relief Fund, according to DGP Dinkar Gupta.
Earlier, Deputy Commissioner Kapurthala informed the Chief Minister that out of the 82 flood affected villages in the district, 20 were inundated. A dedicated team comprising a MBBS doctor, along with staff and requisite medical kits, had been pressed into service in each of these villages. In addition, a veterinary doctor with staff, a food inspector, full dry ration for three days and a police constable had also been deputed in these villages. Apart from providing adequate medical assistance to the people and veterinary care to the livestock, 2 kg feed per cattle per day was being distributed for livestock, in addition to adequate medical assistance to the people and livestock.
The Chief Minister was apprised by the Deputy Commissioner Jalandhar that the drainage wing of the Water Resources Department had been asked to complete the work of plugging the 350 feet wide breach at village Meowal in Phillaur Sub Division by tomorrow. He also told CM that volunteers and MGNREGA workers were engaged in filling sand bags for plugging of this breach.
Captain Amarinder Singh was further informed by the Deputy Commissioner Ropar that the relief and flood protection works in affected areas were going on in full swing as the water level was gradually receding.
Punjab Vidhan Sabha Speaker Rana KP Singh visited the flood hit areas and interacted with the local residents during the day. He asked the Deputy Commissioner Ropar to ensure adequate supply of feed and fodder for the cattle, besides providing the best medical assistance to the people in the region
“I will again appeal to everyone to move to specially created camps because saving lives is of prime importance. I have directed all the officials to be on their toes,” tweeted the Punjab CM on Friday.
He also tweeted that the local administration in Phillaur had plugged a 165 feet in Mau Sahib village with help from MGNREGA workers and volunteers from various organisations.
“Relief work is being carried out on war footing to ensure normalcy returns at the earliest,” he tweeted.