Fazilka: Punjab Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh on Sunday visited flood-affected Fazilka district for the second straight day, reaching the remote border village of Muhar Jamsher to assess the situation firsthand.
Muhar Jamsher, located across the barbed fence and surrounded on three sides by Pakistan, was accessed by the minister on a tractor-trolley from the border outpost. He met families at the farthest end of the settlement, assuring them of government support.
Dr. Singh said that while the area was encircled by floodwaters, the village itself had not been submerged and residents remained resilient. Responding to local demands, he announced the distribution of green fodder and cattle feed for livestock, along with ration kits for households in need. He further pledged that clean drinking water would be ensured in all affected villages, noting that the local RO system was already operational.
MLA Narinder Pal Singh Sawna, who accompanied him, highlighted that Dr. Singh was the third cabinet minister to visit the village under Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s directives, underlining the administration’s commitment to quick relief delivery.
Later in Fazilka, Dr. Singh described floods as a natural calamity and stressed that the immediate priority was rescue and relief. He added that the state government was working on a permanent solution. A panel of nine cabinet ministers has been tasked with preparing a comprehensive action plan that will include river desilting, embankment strengthening, construction of check dams, and scientific measures to increase the carrying capacity of rivers.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Dr. Mandeep Kaur, SDM Virpal Kaur, Khushboo Sawan Sukkha, and Market Committee Chairman Paramjit Singh Noor Shah were also present during the visit.
