Amritsar/Pathankot: Punjab Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha said that the state government stands firmly with the people in this hour of crisis and will support them in every difficulty. He said that relief and rescue operations are currently underway. Once the situation returns to normal, a special survey (Girdawari) will be conducted and compensation will be given for every type of loss. He added that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has constituted a high-powered committee for relief work, under which three senior officers have been deputed to Amritsar district to supervise and assist in these operations.
Acting on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Mr. Sinha today visited the flood-affected areas of Ajnala and Ramdas in Amritsar district, and Bamiyal and Narot Jaimal Singh blocks in Pathankot, where he also inspected the Dhussi embankment of the Ravi river. He also reviewed the arrangements made at the relief centre set up in village Chamiyari.
Mr. Sinha reached villages surrounded by floodwaters to personally assess the situation and interacted with the residents. He also took feedback from the people about the relief provided so far by the district administration. In several villages, he personally distributed relief material to the people and encouraged them to move to safer places. Later, he held a detailed meeting with the district administration and army officials to discuss the rescue and relief strategy and the successes achieved so far. He appreciated the continuous efforts being made by the army personnel, NDRF, police, and civil administration.
During his visit to the flood-affected area of Bamiyal and Kolian, he said that excessive water in the Ravi river had damaged the Dhussi embankment, due to which several villages in Pathankot district along the river were affected by floods. He mentioned that as the water level in the river has now receded, the water in flood-hit areas is also decreasing.
On this occasion, he instructed officials to further speed up the relief operations so that maximum assistance could be provided to the people. He interacted with officers of NDRF, the Health Department, and other departments to review the ongoing relief measures.
Among those who were present Principal Secretary of Water Resources Department Krishan Kumar, senior IAS officers deputed by the Punjab Government for relief works in the district – Kamal Kishore Yadav, Varun Roojam, and Basant Garg – Deputy Commissioner Sakshi Sahni, SSP Amritsar Swapan Sharma, NDRF Deputy Commander Anil Taluktra, Colonel Robin Ethany, Pathankot Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal, SSP Pathankot Daljinder Singh Dhillon, and Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Hardeep Singh.
