Despite destruction, Punjab still not declared flood-hit

Aman Sood

Patiala, July 23

Despite losses worth hundreds of crores due to floods, the Punjab Government is yet to declare the state as “flood-hit” and move a case for financial assistance to the flood-affected villagers and urban residents.

The Haryana Government has already declared 12 districts as flood-hit and also announced Rs 15,000 per acre for completely flood-damaged crops. But Punjab is still waiting for “assessment reports from the fields” before the state is declared flood-hit officially. On July 19, Haryana Deputy Chief Minister, Dushyant Chautala, who also holds the portfolio of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department, said 1,354 places have been flooded in 12 districts of the state.

Though the rescue work continues in various districts of the state on war-footing, the government is awaiting assessment reports from the fields. Senior officials in the Irrigation Department claimed that they were facing “financial constraints” to plug breaches and allotting fresh tenders as the state was not yet flooded officially.

Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar has hit out at Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann over the flood situation in the state, accusing him of not utilising Rs 218 crore funds released by the Centre for relief measures and also not declaring floods in the state.

Questioning the delay in declaring compensation for the affected residents, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said in many flood-hit villages, farmers had sown paddy again and getting compensation would be tougher for them.

Will compensate every affected person

There is no delay and we will declare it flood-hit in a few days once complete report from urban and rural belts are received. We will compensate every affected resident in the state and demand for a relief package. — Bram Shankar Jimpa, rehabilitation and disaster management minister

No need to declare it flood-hit

As per guidelines, we have started with restoration and rescue work in the state and assessment of crops and infrastructure damage is being shared with the Centre. There is no need for declaring state as flood-hit. — KAP Sinha, additional chief secretary, rehabilitation and disaster management