IEP Chandigarh, July 13

To speed up the relief operations in the state and as per the directions of CM Bhagwant Mann, the number of relief camps has been increased from 127 to 183 in flood affected areas.  Along with this, the process of delivering dry food packets and necessary medicines to the flood affected people has also been expedited. A spokesperson informed that 1159 villages in 14 districts have been affected by the flood till 8 am on July 13. Similarly, some towns have also been hit by floods. A total of 183 relief camps have been established in the state, out of which 25 camps are running in Patiala, 16 in Rupnagar and 7 in Moga. Similarly,  3 relief camps in Ludhiana, 22 in Mohali, 2 in SBS Nagar, 3 in Sangrur, 36 in Ferozepur, 3 in Hoshiarpur, 7 in Tarn Taran, 51 in Jalandhar and 8 camps have been established in Kapurthala.He said that 18802 persons have been evacuated and taken to safe places, out of this number,  13518 in Patiala, 2200 in Rupnagar, 155 in Moga, 300 in Ludhiana, 1400 in Mohali, 200 in SBS Nagar, 500 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 19 in Tarn Taran and 510 persons have been evacuated from flood-affected areas in Jalandhar district. Currently,  14 districts are affected by floods including Patiala, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Moga, Ludhiana, Mohali and Sangrur.According to the information received from the animal husbandry department, a total of 630 animals have been treated in the state and 2896 animals have been vaccinated in the flood affected areas. Apart from this, most of the districts have completed their H.S vaccination drive. Rescue teams are working round the clock to provide treatment, feed supply and fodder to the needy animals.On the other hand, the teams of the health department are working in the flood-affected areas with full attention. According to the spokesperson, 315 Rapid Response Teams (RRT) have been working at flood affected areas. The health department has set up 186 medical camps in the affected areas and the total number of OPDs is 6235 so far. He further informed that the Food and Civil Supplies Department has also speeded up the work to deliver the food packets in flood-affected areas. Total dry food packets being prepared is 40,000, while 23,600 packets of dry food have been distributed. 

IEP Sangrur, July 13

Breaking the jinx of CM inspecting the water logged fields through aerial surveys, the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann today inspected the relief operations by himself testing the waters.Clad in white Kurta Pyjama, the Chief Minister, accompanied by senior officers of the state government and district administration, rushed into the water logged fields to oversee the relief measures during his visit to flood affected areas of Ghaggar river. Bhagwant Mann remained inside the water logged fields and monitored the operations through movement of the JCB. He asked the officers to remain in the field and ensure that people don’t face any problem.The Chief Minister said that even advanced countries like USA, Spain and others are facing problem of floods adding that nature has played havoc with the state. He said that incessant rains in the hill states and Punjab has brought this situation in the state. However, Bhagwant Mann said that his government is committed to bail out the people in this hour of grave crisis and no stone will be left unturned for this noble cause. The Chief Minister said that human life is most important due to which every effort is being made to safeguard it. He asked the people residing in low lying and flood prone areas to move to safe places so that their safety can be ensured. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government is duty bound to ensure that people do not face any sort of inconvenience. The Chief Minister said that it is not the time for politicising this issue rather all Punjabis should join hand for combatting this natural disaster. Bhagwant Mann said that unlike his predecessors he is not making rounds on helicopter for cosmetic assessment of the situation but he is in the field to take stock of the real condition at the ground level. He said that the situation is alarming but still the state government is making every effort to minimise the loss of people. The Chief Minister also said that a special girdawari will be conducted to ascertain the loss of crops, houses and others due to heavy rainfall in the state. He said that detailed instructions have been issued to the Deputy Commissioners to immediately carry out girdawari in the areas lashed by rains to ascertain damage caused to crops, houses, animals and others on priority. Bhagwant Mann assured the people that the government is committed to safeguarding their interests against nature’s fury.Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said that people should not get panic as the state government is there to serve them by keeping a regular tab on the situation arising in the aftermath of the incessant rains across the state. He said that it is a natural calamity and will be combated well with the fulsome support and cooperation of one and all adding that the state government is with the people of Punjab in this hour of crisis and no stone will be left unturned for bailing out the people from this situation. Bhagwant Mann appealed to the people to not worry about anything as the state government is already making concerted efforts to normalise the situation.The Chief Minister said that he is personally reviewing the situation every minute and from every corner of the state. He said that heavy downpour of water is beyond the control of any individual but every effort is being made to ensure that people do not face any sort of inconvenience. Bhagwant Mann said that already all the Cabinet Ministers, MLAs and the officers are in their respective areas and reaching out to the needy people in this hour of grave crisis

IEP Chandigarh, July 13

On the directions of Chief Minister Punjab,S. Bhagwant Mann, Minister for Local Government, Punjab Balkar Singh today held a video conference meeting with all Municipal Corporation Commissioners and Additional Deputy Commissioners (Urban Development) of the state and asked them to improve rainwater drainage in cities during the monsoon season. Instructions were given to clean the drainage system for proper drainage and ensure supply of chlorinated water to prevent diseases spread in rain.

The Cabinet Minister directed the officials to ensure early all the necessary arrangements to deal with the problem of waterlogging keeping in mind the rainy season so that there is no problem in draining water during rains. Emphasizing on the cleanliness of the drainage system, the Local Government Minister said that the roads, streets and manholes of all cities should be properly cleaned and besides fixing the drainage system, the work of cleaning the drains that carry rain water forward should be done. It should be done on the basis of priority so that the problem of water filling does not arise during rains. After identifying of low-lying places in those cities, where there is a possibility of water accumulation, instructions were also given to arrange generator sets and pumps there so that when water accumulates during rains, it can be removed immediately.

The Cabinet Minister asked the officials to ensure continuous fogging and spraying of larvicide in cities to prevent diseases spread due to mosquitoes breeding on stagnant water during rainy season. He directed that apart from regularly spraying black oil on standing water, chlorine tablets should be distributed in rain-affected houses and chlorinated water supply should be ensured in cities. He said that drinking water pipes should be checked, wherever any leakage is found, it should be repaired immediately.

The Cabinet Minister asked the officials to identify such old and dilapidated buildings and take special precautions in order to save precious lives due to the collapse of dilapidated and old houses/buildings during the rainy season. He said that if the condition of any building is very dilapidated then it should be vacated and suitable arrangements should be made for the stay of the people living there. He said that in such areas, where there may be damage due to the collapse of such buildings, arrangements should also be made for the protection of the nearby settlements. Meanwhile, he also gave instructions for immediate repair of roads, footpaths, streets, sewage pipes and grills damaged during the rains.

On this occasion, Mr. Ajoy Sharma, Principal Secretary Local Government, Mr. Malwinder Singh Jaggi, CEO Punjab Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Mrs. Isha Kalia, CEO PMIDC and Mr. Uma Shankar Gupta, Director Local Government were specially present in the meeting.

IEP Chandigarh, July 13

To speed up the relief operations in the state and as per the directions of CM Bhagwant Mann, the number of relief camps has been increased from 127 to 183 in flood affected areas.  Along with this, the process of delivering dry food packets and necessary medicines to the flood affected people has also been expedited.A spokesperson informed that 1159 villages in 14 districts have been affected by the flood till 8 am on July 13. Similarly, some towns have also been hit by floods. A total of 183 relief camps have been established in the state, out of which 25 camps are running in Patiala, 16 in Rupnagar and 7 in Moga. Similarly,  3 relief camps in Ludhiana, 22 in Mohali, 2 in SBS Nagar, 3 in Sangrur, 36 in Ferozepur, 3 in Hoshiarpur, 7 in Tarn Taran, 51 in Jalandhar and 8 camps have been established in Kapurthala.He said that 18802 persons have been evacuated and taken to safe places, out of this number,  13518 in Patiala, 2200 in Rupnagar, 155 in Moga, 300 in Ludhiana, 1400 in Mohali, 200 in SBS Nagar, 500 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 19 in Tarn Taran and 510 persons have been evacuated from flood-affected areas in Jalandhar district.Currently,  14 districts are affected by floods including Patiala, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Pathankot, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fatehgarh Sahib, Faridkot, Hoshiarpur, Rupnagar, Moga, Ludhiana, Mohali and Sangrur.According to the information received from the animal husbandry department, a total of 630 animals have been treated in the state and 2896 animals have been vaccinated in the flood affected areas. Apart from this, most of the districts have completed their H.S vaccination drive. Rescue teams are working round the clock to provide treatment, feed supply and fodder to the needy animals.On the other hand, the teams of the health department are working in the flood-affected areas with full attention. According to the spokesperson, 315 Rapid Response Teams (RRT) have been working at flood affected areas. The health department has set up 186 medical camps in the affected areas and the total number of OPDs is 6235 so far.He further informed that the Food and Civil Supplies Department has also speeded up the work to deliver the food packets in flood-affected areas.An additional demand of 3100 dry food packets has been received on Thursday, making total demand of dry food packets in the flood-affected areas to 43,100. In response to this demand, 27,860 packets of dry food have been distributed by the department, while the remaining 15,240 packets are under preparation in bulk quantity.Out of the 27,860 dry food packets distributed till July 13, 14410 distributed in Jalandhar, 500 in Mohali, 500 in Fatehgarh Sahib, 1375 in Rupnagar, 1800 in Ludhiana, 2375 in Patiala, 1000 in Sangrur, 1000 in Kapurthala, 4000 in SBS Nagar and 1000 in Tarn Taran have been distributed.

IEP Chandigarh, July 12      

    Water Supply and Sanitation Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa today presided over a meeting with the department’s senior officials and field staff and directed that there should be no shortage of clean drinking water in the flood-affected rural areas.          He said that as per the  instructions issued by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the supply of clean drinking water should be ensured to the flood-affected areas of the state and adequate quantity of water tankers should be sent to the areas where piped water cannot reach.          During a review meeting at Jal Supply Bhawan, Mohali, Jimpa said that the government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is doing everything possible to meet all the needs of the residents of the flood-hit areas. Encouraging the officers and employees of the department, he said that everyone is doing a great job in this difficult time. He also praised the officials and employees of the department for timely repair of the damage caused to Kajauli Water Works due to floods.          Jimpa further said that those water supply schemes in Punjab affected by floods should supply water to their beneficiaries through alternative methods till they are fully operational. During meeting, he sought complete information from the SEs of Chandigarh, Patiala, Fatehgarh Sahib, Jalandhar and Ludhiana circles about their areas and issued necessary guidelines.          He said that adequate steps should be taken to protect the motors/tubewells of water supply schemes from flood water, where the possibility of flood is still remains. He said that it should be ensured that chlorinated water is provided to the people.          Principal Secretary of Water Supply and Sanitation Department Jaspreet Talwar and Head of Department Muhammad Ishfaq, other senior officers and field officers of the department were present in the meeting.  

IEP Chandigarh, July 12 

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday reiterated the firm commitment of the state government to duly compensate the people for every single penny of loss incurred by them on account of heavy and incessant rainfall across the state. In a statement issued here today, the Chief Minister said that he is monitoring the situation every moment by taking regular updates from across the state. He said that a regular tab is being kept through district administrations in the entire state regarding the level of water and the relief measures being carried out in these districts. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government is duty bound to help the people in this hour of grave crisis and no stone is being left unturned for this noble cause. The Chief Minister said that succour is being provided even to the last person at the far flung areas of the state. He said that special thrust is being laid to ensure relief in the worst affected areas of the state so that people do not face any sort of problem. Bhagwant Mann said that priority is being given to carry rescue and relief work in the badly affected areas of the state. The Chief Minister said that all the dams in the state are safe and water is flowing below the danger mark. He expressed hope that by Wednesday evening the situation in the state will improve considerably by all means. Bhagwant Mann said that already all the Cabinet Ministers, MLAs and the officers are in their respective areas and reaching out to the needy people in this hour of grave crisis. The Chief Minister said that an elaborate mechanism has been put in place to safeguard the life and property of people from the increasing level of water. He said that Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSPs) are expediting the relief work in their respective districts so as to provide succor to the masses. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government is duty bound to secure the interests of the people in this situation caused due to the heavy downpour of water adding that the Ministers, MLAs and officers are visiting the low lying and flood prone areas to ensure that people are evacuated from these areas to safe positions. 

IEP Chandigarh, July 12    

      Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister Bram Shanker Jimpa today presided over a meeting with all Deputy Commissioners and senior officials of various departments and issued directions that no stone should be left unturned to help the flood victims. He said that the Punjab government has no dearth of money to deal with this natural calamity and Rs. 33.50 crore has already been released to all deputy commissioners for relief work.          He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann will soon release another amount of Rs. 71.50 crore to provide all possible help to the flood affected areas. Aprising the Deputy Commissioners about the instructions issued by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, Jimpa directed that dry rations and medicines should be delivered to the flood affected people so that no one is deprived of these essential items. He said that safety of life and property of every person should be given priority at this time. He said that if any person lost his/her life during the floods, his family should be given a compensation amount of Rs. 4 lakh immediately.          Addressing the Deputy Commissioners through video conferencing, the Disaster Management Minister said that the dilapidated houses should be identified and people should be taken to safe places so that no one’s life is lost. He said that in this hour of crisis, we have to reach out to everyone who is affected from floods. He said that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has already announced that it is the priority of the Punjab government to provide all kinds of assistance to the flood-affected areas.          Jimpa encouraged the Deputy Commissioners to save the animals, manage their fodder and ensure the delivery of essential medicines of flood affected areas. During meeting, Jimpa directed the concerned departments to fulfill whatever demands were made by the Deputy Commissioners to deal with the floods. Some districts asked for NDRF/SDRF teams which were accepted on the spot.          In the meeting, Special Chief Secretary Revenue K.A.P. Sinha, Principal Secretary of Water Supply and Sanitation Department Jaspreet Talwar, Principal Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department Vivek Pratap Singh, Principal Secretary of Water Resources Department Krishan Kumar, Secretary of Local Government Department Ajoy Sharma, Commissioner of Jalandhar Division Gurpreet Kaur Sapra, Forest Department Secretary Indu Malhotra, Special Secretary of Revenue Department Dr. Amarpal Singh, Director of Rural Development and Panchayat Department Gurpreet Singh Khaira and Head of Water Supply and Sanitation Department Muhammad Ishfaq were present. Commissioners of different divisons of Punjab and Deputy Commissioners of districts joined the meeting through video conferencing. 

IEP Chandigarh/Patiala, July 12

Punjab Information and Public Relations Minister S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra, on Wednesday, bemoaned that Haryana government has failed to clean the siphon built upon Ghaggar under Hansi-Butana canal on time, which resulted in massive waterlogging in villages of our side of Punjab.While responding to media persons on his visit to various flood affected villages, the Cabinet Minister said, the Haryana government should have cleaned this siphon well in advance, adding that if the siphon had been cleaned in time, this situation could be averted.S. Chetan Singh Jauramajra said that he has asked Deputy Commissioner Patiala Sakshi Sawhney to raise the issue with her counterpart of Kaithal district.He visited the affected villages of Dharmeri, Gheura, Kamaspur, Dhanauri, Nawan Gaon, Bibipur, Ghajislar, Rajla, Droula, Drouli, Bhanra, Bhanri, Main, Sassa Gujran, Sassa Theh, Mangatan, Samspur etc. After listening to the problems of the villagers, he instructed the officials of the district administration to immediately send boats and other necessary relief materials in these villages. He urged the villagers to adhere to the appeal of the district administration to go to safe places, informing that arrangements of stay at Gurdwara Karhali Sahib have been made and more necessary relief materials are being delivered.I am continuously visiting more than 50 villages affected by the rapid flow of water in Samana constituency in this hour of crisis and ensuring the safety of the villagers, said the Cabinet Minister, who was accompanied by Gurdev Singh Tiwana, Advocate Gulzar Singh Virk, Balkar Singh Gajjumajra, Surjit Singh Fauji, Amardeep Singh Sonu Thind and Maninder Singh.

IEP Chandigarh, July 12

In order to increase the income sources of Scheduled Castes (SC) farmers and give them opportunity to adopt dairy farming, Chief Minister S Bhagwant Mann led Punjab Government has decided to impart free dairy farming training to SC Candidates.Disclosing this here today, Punjab Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development and Fisheries Department Minister Mr. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that Punjab Dairy Development Board will impart free dairy training to SC Dairy Farmers, besides providing them a stipend of Rs. 350 per day during the training.During the training, he said that candidates would be trained in purchase & care of milch animals, breed improvement, making products from the milk, seasonal diseases in animals, cattle feed preparation at home, growing green fodder throughout the year etc.Mr Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that the training will be conducted at nine training centers situated at Chatamli (Rupnagar), Bija (Ludhiana), Phagwara (Kapurthala), Sardulgarh (Mansa), Verka (Amritsar), Gill (Moga), Abul Khurana (Sri Muktsar Sahib), Tarn Taran and Sangrur. The training will be imparted in three batches under this scheme. First Batch has been scheduled from July 24 to August 4, 2023 and counseling for the same will be held on July 17. The second batch will be organised from September 25 to October 6, 2023 and counseling will be held on September 18 and the third Batch will be held from November 28 to December 8, 2023 and counseling will be on November 20.Divulging about the eligibility criteria, the Cabinet Minister said that Candidate aged between 18-50 years (male and married female) can apply for the training and they must be 5th passed, besides belonging to rural areas. One day exposure visit and training kit will also be provided to them.He asked the eligible beneficiaries to contact their nearest Office of Deputy Director Dairy Development. For further any enquiry, aspiring candidates can contact Dairy Development Department, Punjab at phone no. 0172-5027285.

IEP Chandigarh, July 9       

   The Department of Social Security, Women, and Child Development is committed to the welfare of destitute and needy women. The Punjab Government provides 100% financial assistance to women suffering from acid attacks.  Acid Victims scheme aims to provide monthly financial assistance to women who have become disabled due to acid attacks.          Revealing this information, Dr. Baljit Kaur, Minister of Social Security, Women, and Child Development, stated that acid attacks are a heinous form of violence against women, deliberately perpetrated by the attacker. This causes permanent or partial damage to the victim’s body or any body part. Apart from the mental and physical pain, acid attacks often lead to various infections and even blindness. Additionally, these attacks also have significant social and economic repercussions on the lives of women.          The minister further stated that under the fully state-funded financial assistance scheme for women suffering from acid attacks, implemented by the Punjab Government, women residing in Punjab with 40% or more disability (according to the disability benchmark) receive Rs. 8,000 per month to support their dependents. The aim is to rehabilitate these women and help them become self-sufficient. The victim must have registered a copy of the First Information Report (FIR) or a complaint.          She mentioned that currently, 22 women affected by acid attacks are benefiting from this scheme in districts including Bathinda, Gurdaspur, Ludhiana, Ropar, Shaheed Bhagat Singh Nagar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Moga, Jalandhar, and Amritsar.          The cabinet minister explained the scheme being implemented for acid attack victims. She highlighted the case of Ramandeep Kaur from Amritsar district, who is receiving a financial benefit of Rs. 8,000 per month to pursue her dreams.          Dr. Baljit Kaur mentioned that Mahinder Kaur from Bathinda district is undergoing treatment at DMC Ludhiana, while Amanpreet Kaur is receiving treatment at Fortis Hospital Mohali, both with the help of financial assistance provided under this scheme. Mrs. Ramandeep Kaur from Ludhiana district is utilizing the financial assistance from the Punjab government to cover the school fees and daily needs of her two daughters and one son, ensuring a stable livelihood.