Nawanshahr, July 11, 2023 (Yes Punjab News)
Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal today while reviewing flood hit areas in Banga constituency as well as in Banga, Balachaur and Anandpur Sahib called for providing immediate aid to distressed people even as he urged SAD workers to redouble their efforts to assist those in need of food, fodder and medical aid.
The SAD president, who rode a tractor to reach the severely affected villages here as well as those in other constituencies, said the havoc caused to the farming community was unimaginable. “Paddy has been destroyed in over thousands of acres and farmers are looking towards a bleak future with no time to raise paddy nursery again for transplantation”. He said similarly marginal farmers growing vegetables had been devastated with their entire produce being destroyed.
Mr Sukhbir Singh Badal also interacted with people in all the constituencies. At Cheta village in this constituency people said the inability of the government to clean the drain in the area had added to their miseries. They disclosed how the drain had not been dug out to remove the silt and its ‘bandhs’ had not been strengthened. This complaint was repeated in other areas also indicating complete government failure to take corrective action to ward off their threat of flooding due to incessant rain.
Mr Badal said farmers had approached him and demanded that bank loans they had taken to raise their paddy crop should be taken forward and the interest on the same should be waived off. “This is a genuine demand and should be met with immediately”, he added.
The SAD president said people were looking towards the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to provide immediate relief instead of making meaningless statements. “Rs five lakh each should be released to all whose houses have been damaged while farmers should be given an interim relief of Rs 25,000 per acre pending girdwari”.
At Rakram Bet village in Balachaur people approached the SAD president to tell about the acute shortage of fodder for milch animals. He said while SAD workers were doing their bit to supply green fodder and food packets to affected villages, the government should take urgent steps to provide green fodder in all villages affected by rain water. He also called for deputing medical teams to stem the spread of water borne diseases.
Mr Badal also asserted the AAP government approach the center and prevail upon it to declare the current situation as a natural calamity in order to avail funds under the National Disaster Management Fund. He said in the meantime the State government should announce a relief package for all displaced persons, those whose houses had been damaged, farmers as well as poor people whose livelihood had been adversely affected by the deluge.
The SAD president also regulated relief operations at some places by coordinating distribution of relief material. He was accompanied by senior leaders Prof Prem Singh Chandumajra, Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi, Dr Nachattar Pal, Sunita Chaudhary, Jarnail Singh Wahid & Charanjit Singh Brar.
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