Badal demands Rs 1-lakh per acre compensation for kinnow growers in visit to flood-hit villages

The SAD president also distributed three to four pumps besides hundreds of metres of plastic pipes in each of the villages. He also requested the Shiromani committee to hold medical camps wherever necessary besides asking the party cadre to arrange fodder for milch animals and supplying food packets to the affected persons.

Badal, while interacting with kinnow farmers, said it was shocking that orchards had been allowed to wither away in hundreds of acres with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government failing to arrange for facilities to clear water from the flooded fields.

“Farmers told me that their kinnow orchards had been flooded for one month but no one from the drainage department took any effort to drain out the water. Village women also lamented that they were being denied even basic relief facilities by the AAP government,” he added.

Badal said it was even more shocking that AAP convener, who was staying put in Mohali and was even inaugurating even one room projects, has refused to visit the flood hit areas in both districts. “Even Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has failed to give any solace to those whose fields had been inundated with flood waters.”

He also asked why the Chief Minister had not released any interim relief for the flood victims as promised by him prior to the 2022 assembly elections. “As much as Rs 5,000 to Rs 6,000 crore is lying with the Punjab government under the Natural Disaster Relief fund but no money is being released to the flood-hit people,” he added.

Meanwhile, SAD’s Abohar and Balluana halka incharges Harbinder Singh Harry Sandhu and Gurtej Singh Ghuriana assured the Badal that fog machines provided by the former would be given to village panchayats so that they can be used to counter the spread of malaria. The leaders said they would also try their best to get damaged transformers repaired to restore electricity supply wherever disrupted.

Other leaders who accompanied the SAD president included Jagsir Singh Babbu Jaimalwala, Kaur Singh, Satinderjit Singh Manta and Suresh Satija. Among villages visited by the SAD president include Khui Khera – Rukanpura, Patti Billa, Dalmir Khera, Jandwala Hanwanta, Giddaranwali, Diwankhera and Khuian Sarwar.

Agriculture Minister also takes stock of ground situation

Meanwhile, Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian Saturday visited flood-affected border villages in Fazilka district to take stock of the situation and interact with local residents. He announced that under the leadership of Mann, the Punjab government has ensured continuous supply of green fodder as well as cattle feed for livestock in the affected areas. He further directed the district administration to arrange drinking water tankers for the villages.

Khudian, accompanied by Fazilka MLA Narinder Pal Singh Sawna, visited villages including Kawanwali Pattan, Dona Nanka, and Teja Ruhela. During his visit, he travelled by tractor-trolley to reach Dona Nanka village and met with residents to hear their concerns. He noted that while the houses in the village remain safe and no floodwater has entered the interiors, villagers confirmed that green fodder is being delivered and there is no shortage of ration.

The minister emphasised that Mann has already ordered a special girdawari (survey) to assess crop and property loss. He instructed the administration to expedite this process so that compensation can be provided to affected families as per government policy.

The Agriculture Minister also directed officers of the Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Departments to remain stationed in the villages and extend all possible assistance to the people.

Deputy Commissioner Amarpreeet Kaur Sandhu, SDM Veerpal Kaur, Executive Engineer (Drainage) Alok Chaudhary, Chief Agriculture Officer Rajinder Kamboj, Deputy Director Animal Husbandry Mandeep Singh, Executive Engineer (Mandi Board) Sahil Gagneja, and other departmental officers were also present in the visit.