Patiala: A high-powered Central team on Tuesday
visited flood-affected areas of Punjab to assess damage with
state officials briefing them on a controversial canal set up
by neighbouring Haryana which they claimed has aggravated the
situation.
The four-member inter-ministerial team visited some of
the areas in worst-affected Patiala and Mansa districts and
also studied visuals and clippings. The recent floods have
claimed 25 lives in the state.
The team, led by Joint Secretary Home Affairs R P Nath,
included Director of Agriculture and Cooperation Department
and Directorate of Wheat Development Ghaziabad G K Chaudhary,
Power Ministry Director R K Verma and Senior Regional Director
in Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry Amarjeet Kaur.
Punjab officials led by Financial Commissioner (Revenue)
Romila Dubey showed pictures of areas affected by devastating
floods in a specially organised video show in Samana here.
The team also went through the pictures of Hansi Bhutana
Canal near Azimgarh in Haryana adjoining Patiala district,
which Punjab officials claimed blocked water in Ghaggar river,
resulting in low-lying areas being submerged by flood water.
In Patiala district, the team visited flood-hit areas of
Budmour, Ojahn, Adaltiwala and Ramnagar Gheara villages
besides various sites where Ghaggar river had breached.
Later, speaking to media persons, Nath said the loss due
to the floods was ""substantial" and lauded the administration
for its relief works.
The team would submit a detailed report of the losses to
the Central Government. The report would be the basis for
financial assistance to the flood-affected people, he said.
Yesterday, the Central team had visited some of the
flood-ravaged areas of Haryana, where 26 flood-related deaths
have been reported.
Meanwhile, ruling Congress in Haryana hit out at
Opposition INLD after it accused the state government of
ignoring flood victims and delaying relief work "to gain
political leverage".
"The Opposition is levelling baseless charges," Haryana
Congress spokesman, Ved Prakash Vidrohi said.
INLD leader Ajay Singh Chautala had charged Chief
Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda with making "hollow"
announcements regarding relief measures in flood-affected
areas of the state.
PTI
