Chandigarh, September 9:
Punjab Water Resources Minister Mr. Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Mr. Gurpreet Singh Kangar and Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Mr. Sunil Jakhar on Wednesday visited the waterlogged areas of Fazilka and Sri Muktsar Sahib Districts.
Taking the stock of the situation, Mr. Sarkaria directed the officials to immediately press the pumps in service to drain out water from fields to ensure timely sowing of next crop. He said that Nodal Officers would be appointed to monitor the drainage of water from fields. He also instructed the officials to ensure that inhibited areas do not get waterlogged. He underlined the need to bring out comprehensive project to find a permanent solution of the water logging problem.
Revenue Minister said that Punjab Government has ordered of special Girdawari to assess the crop loss due to waterlogging caused due to heavy rain in the area.
Interacting with those whose crops were damaged, the cabinet ministers assured the farmers of all possible help and also directed officials to assess crop loss of every affected farmer at the earliest.
Mr. Sunil Jakhar said that this catastrophe has been resulted because of unplanned projects of last SAD-BJP Government. Farmers were suffering at the hand of faulty drains constructed during SAD regime. The Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh led Punjab Government would bring an adequate plan to solve this problem once for all, he added.
He said that then Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal and he (Mr. Jakhar) had called on then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh in 2014. Dr. Manmohan Singh had sanctioned a Rs. 2246 crore project to sort out the problem of faulty drains but SAD Government did not give any detail of this amount and waterlogging problem still exists. If SAD Government utilized this amount in proper manner then these farmers would not have been suffered today.
The Cabinet Ministers and PPCC President visited Duttarnwali, Malookpura, Bhangalan, Dharangwala, Muradwala Dal Singh, Kuharianwali, Mamu Khera, Mamu Khera Khatwan villages in Fazilka, besides Ratta Tibba, Mohla and Panniwala villages of Sri Muktsar Sahib. During the visit to these villages, MLAs Mr. Raminder Singh Awla and Nathu Ram were also present.
