Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
* Expresses hope that NDA govt. would pay heed towards this genuine demand sympathetically
* Bats for ‘Micro planning’ at village level to combat the problem of water logging
* Announces to postpone the recovery to cooperative loans from the farmers in wake of HAVOC created due to the rains
* Solicit support from public to remove curse of water logging from the state
Aalamwala (Sri Muktsar Sahib), – Expressing grave concern over the meager compensation given to the farmers for their whopping losses due to the natural disasters, the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today said that he would once again flag up the issue of hiking this compensation with the Government of India (GoI).
Interacting with the media persons on the first day of his tour to assess the losses due massive rain in the waterlogged districts of the state, the Chief Minister said that Rs 3500 given by the Centre per acre to the farmers for compensating their loss due to the natural disaster, was too miniscule, in wake of the exorbitant hike in the prices of agriculture inputs borne by the farmers to raise the crop. Mr. Badal said that he had time and again raised the issue of enhancing the relief amount to be disbursed amongst the farmers with the previous Union government but as the Congress leaders were unaware about the ground situation so they had hardly paid any heed towards this genuine demand due to which the victims of the natural tragedy were suffering a lot. However, he said that with the change of guard at centre the hope for adequate compensation for the victims of the tragedy have been renewed and hopefully the NDA government would look into this matter sympathetically.
The Chief Minister said that state government was fully seized with the hardships of the floods victims and they want to extend a helping hand to them by giving adequate financial assistance as compensation. However, he said that the riders imposed by the Union government barred them from helping the victims of this natural tragedy which was unfortunate. Mr. Badal said that the Union government must adopt liberal approach for duly compensating the flood victims in this hour of crisis.
Batting for the need of ‘micro planning’ at the village level to combat the problem of water logging in the state, the Chief Minister said that every villager from the water logged districts would have to play a proactive role for dealing with this situation. He said that the top brass of the state government has been deployed by him in these areas to ensure properly assess the loss suffered by the victims of this tragedy besides ensuring prompt relief to them. Mr. Badal directed the district administration to meticulously evaluate the losses incurred by the residents of the villages so that they could be duly compensated for it.
Earlier interacting with the victims of the nature’s fury at village Panniwala, Midda, Bodiwala, Ratta Khera, Aalamwala, Aspaal, Pakki Tibbi, Kattianwali, Saraawan Bodla, Bhagwanpura, Kolianwali and others, the Chief Minister said that the state government would make all out efforts to ease out financial burden on the farmers besides extending a helping hand to them in this hour of crisis. Mr. Badal announced that the Cooperative department has been directed to postpone the recovery of loans from the farmers in wake of havoc created due to the rain. “We are fully committed to bail out the people in this hour of crisis and the state government is making every effort to ensure timely relief and rehabilitation of the people’ he added.
Expressing concern over the huge loss incurred due to this natural tragedy, the Chief Minister said that this was the biggest loss of the property and crops ever since the state had been facing the chronic problem of water logging. Mr. Badal said that he was himself supervising all the relief operations to ensure that no stone was left unturned in helping the people in these difficult times. He said that the Punjabis have been blessed with the indomitable spirit of overcoming such challenges bravely and with the efforts of state government the curse of water logging would be eliminated from the state. Citing the example of great French hero Napolean, who took inspiration from an ant to overcome failures for achieving his target, the Chief Minister called upon the people to fully support the state government to remove this curse from the state.
The Chief Minister was accompanied by MLA Mr. Harpreet Singh, Chairman Punjab Agro Food grains Corporation Jathedar Dyal Singh Kolianwali, Member Punjab State Women Commission Ms. Veerpal Kaur Tarmala, his Special Principal Secretary Mr. KJS Cheema, Secretary Irrigation Mr. Kahan Singh Pannu and Deputy Commissioner Mr. Jaskiran Singh.
