Ashu thanks Centre for including Punjab in IMTC list

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 25

Punjab Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu extended gratitude towards the Centre Government for including Punjab in the list of visits, which have to be conducted by the Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMTC) of the Union Government.

He said the pressure exerted by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on the Union Government had forced it to include Punjab in the list. At the same time, Ashu urged the Centre to give equal importance to Punjab on a par with other states that have been badly affected by floods. He demanded that the Centre give adequate relief to the state of Punjab to mitigate the agony of flood-affected people.

In a communiqué released here on Sunday, the minister said earlier the Union Government kept the state of Punjab out from the list of 11 flood-affected states, but after the timely intervention of the CM, the Union Government included Punjab in this list. He said flood had derailed normal life in Punjab. As many as 10,000 people of 87 villages have been directly affected by floods, as these villages have been completely submerged, while 20 other villages have lost connect with other villages due to water stagnation.

Ashu lauded the effort of the Army, NDRF teams and other social organisations, who rendered service to evacuate people. He said the estimated damage in Punjab was around Rs1,700 crore. The Union Government should consider Punjab’s case sympathetically and grant financial aid “with a big heart”, he said.

The minister also appealed to the general public to stand by the Punjab Government in this hour of distress and donate generously to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund to help flood victims.