Deluge in Punjab, but CM busy in serving Delhi bosses: SAD

Chandigarh, July 10 (IANS) Saying the Punjab Chief Minister was busy in serving the political interests of his bosses in Delhi, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Monday asked Bhagwant Mann to timely release relief to thousands of people whose houses have been damaged by incessant rain, and farmers whose paddy crop was damaged.

In a statement here, Majithia said Punjabis were shocked that the Chief Minister was engaged in celebrations and election tours of the neighbouring state of Haryana during the last few days instead of taking review meetings and making advance preparations to meet all eventualities.

“There were advance warnings about the ongoing spell of incessant rain but the Chief Minister did not heed the same and remained busy in celebrations and serving the political interests of Arvind Kejriwal. This is why when rain waters started entering people’s houses, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government was caught napping,” he said.

“If people are suffering today, it is because of the lack of preparedness of this government which continues to be busy in advertising relief measures without doing anything on the ground.”

Majithia said a large part of damage being wrecked in housing colonies and urban clusters in the state was due to the government’s failure to regulate drainage facilities and make arrangements for smooth drainage of water from urban areas.

He said similarly timely action was not initiated in cleaning drains in rural areas which had compounded the suffering of the people.

Reminding the Chief Minister that he had been elected by Punjabis and his utmost duty was to serve them instead of his bosses in Delhi, Majithia asked the Chief Minister to curtail his election tours out of the state and concentrate his efforts on providing quick and timely relief to the people.

He demanded the government release Rs 5 lakh relief for all houses which had been damaged due to rains, besides Rs 25,000 per acre advance compensation to all farmers whose crops had been destroyed.

“Simultaneously, girdwaris should be carried out to assess the total crop damage,” he added.