Punjab’s Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa on Thursday flayed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government in Punjab for “adopting laxity” while the threats of flooding still looming large in various parts of the state. “Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant
Mann tweeted yesterday that the flood situation was under control and he was in contact with the Himachal Pradesh government and BBMB officials. However, the situation is quite grim at the ground level”, Bajwa added. Bajwa, a senior Congress leader, said that hundreds of villages of the Mukerian and Dasuya subdivisions of the Hoshiarpur district and
the Gurdaspur district have been inundated following the release of excess water from the Pong Dam. As per the residents of flood-affected areas, the damage caused by floods has been far greater than in 1988. Officials fear the worst may come in a day as heavy rain is expected in Himachal Pradesh. “Thousands of acres of crops have been damaged, hundreds
of milch animals have been flooded, and people have been forced to leave their homes. Now the onus is with the Punjab Chief Minister. He [Mann] must tell whether any flood warning was issued beforehand. Why did AAP government fail to make arrangements
if the warning was issued? Adopting precautionary measures, the state government should have made proper arrangements,” Bajwa added. Qadian Legislator, Bajwa visited the Bet
area near Kahnuwan yesterday and listened to the woes of those living in these flood affected areas. In a statement, Bajwa said that this was the time for the Punjab CM to practice what he has been preaching. “He must announce a relief package immediately without waiting for the girdawari report as he did previously. He should refrain from making
tall claims on social media and provide compensation immediately.” “The AAP government must announce Rs 50,000 per acre relief to the farmers, whose crop has been damaged. The labour class and other families, whose houses have been damaged must be provided
with at least Rs 5 lakh compensation. Rs 50,000 should also be given to the owner, whose
cattle has died in this natural calamity. The ex-gratia of Rs 10 Lakh to the deceased and Rs 5 lakh to the injured should also be provided”, Bajwa demanded.