Vikram Ditya Sharma/Ferozepur
Former Chhattisgarh CM and Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Bhagel today said that the ongoing floods were a man-made disaster that led to large scale devastation in major parts of the state adding timely action could have averted major losses.
Accompanied by senior party leaders including the PPCC President Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, the CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa, former CM Charanjit Singh Channi and others, Bhagel visited several areas affected by floods and interacted with people there.
Baghel said Punjab has been badly devastated by floods and regretted the delay on part of the centre government to provide interim relief for the flood hit people. Baghel reiterated his party’s demand for a comprehensive and substantial flood relief package for the state and said that this was no time to play politics on floods.
"At the same time the state government and the administration cannot escape the responsibility for not taking preventive and precautionary measures in advance.
The senior Congress leader regretted that both the state and the central governments still seem to be indifferent towards the plight of the flood-hit people in Punjab. "While the state administration is as good as collapsed, the central government has also been very insensitive and indifferent", said Baghel
He questioned the unusual delay in providing an immediate relief package for the flood-hit people. "While the comprehensive package may take time, the central government should have provided interim relief for the flood victims. I don't understand why the central government was delaying the relief when it knew it had to provide the same", said Baghel.
Bhagel along with other Congress leaders assessed the flood situation and review relief efforts by party workers at flood affected villages Gatta Badshah (Zira), Nihal Lavera (Ferozepur), Naubram Sher Singh (Guruharsahai), Rukne Wala and Dutti Wala Bandh (Zira).On this occasion, Gurjeet Singh Aujla, Rana Gurjeet Singh, Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria, Sukhminder Singh Danny, Raj Kumar Verka, Ramanjit Singh Sikki, Harpartap Singh Ajnala, Navtej Cheema, Kulbir Zira, Sunil Dutti, Bhagwantpal Singh Sachar, Parminder Singh Pinky, Santokh Singh Bhalaipur and others Congress leaders were also present.