Union minister visits flood-hit areas, industrial units

Union Minister of State for Communications and Rural Development Dr Pemmasani Chandra Shekhar today visited Phagwara, where he combined an inspection of industrial establishments with an on-the-ground assessment of flood-affected villages in the region.

Dr Shekhar, accompanied by former SC Commission Chairman Vijay Sampla and former Union Minister Som Prakash, began his visit at the Sukhjit Mega Food Park in village Rehana Jattan, Phagwara. At the facility, he was received by the Sardana brothers and was briefed about the ongoing operations and the contribution of the food park to agro-processing and employment in the region.

Following the industrial visit, the Union Minister turned his attention to areas recently hit by floods. He toured villages Naseerabad, Rawalpindi, and Duggan, besides village Chiherru where he was joined by senior officials of the Phagwara administration, including ADC Dr Akshita Gupta, SP Gurmit Kaur Chahal, and SDM Jashanpreet Singh.

During his interactions with villagers, Dr Shekhar took stock of the damages caused by heavy rain, listened to grievances and enquired about the relief measures in place. He assured the residents that the government would extend all possible assistance for recovery and rehabilitation.

Later in the day, the minister visited Sampurna Feed Factory in Phagwara, where he was given a tour of the facility and briefed on production processes. Concluding his visit, Dr Shekhar called on Vijay Sampla at his Phagwara residence, where he met with local BJP leaders to discuss organisational matters and development issues.

The minister’s visit was seen as a significant outreach to both industrial sector and rural communities of the district, underlining the Centre’s focus on rural development and disaster response in Punjab.

Relief efforts reach rain-hit Dhira Ghara village

Volunteers from Sikhs for Equality Foundation conducted the second phase of relief operations in Dhira Ghara village, where floodwaters still surround the area, requiring wading through nearly two-and-a-half feet of water for access.

A total of 178 families received essential supplies. Relief kits—including cots, mattresses, bedsheets, blankets, towels, tarpaulins, mosquito nets, medicines, shawls, drinking water and ORS—were distributed to 138 families on-site, while another 40 families collected theirs from the base camp. Additionally, village granthi Singh Sahib was given Rs 25,000 to support his daughter’s education and residents were encouraged to start Gurmat classes for local children.

Despite the difficulties, around 70 volunteers from Phagwara worked tirelessly, also setting up a medical camp at the village school. The relief distribution was orderly: families received numbered tokens and supplies were handed out peacefully over four hours, without any disputes or disorder.

The foundation highlighted that, contrary to widely circulated images of chaos in flood-affected areas, residents here showed remarkable patience and resilience, described as “warriors fighting bravely” against the disaster. Daily relief efforts will continue in the second phase, with one flood-hit village served each day from the joint base camp in Phagwara and Ferozepur.

Special thanks were extended to the sangat from Phagwara, Delhi, Ludhiana and Banga for contributing not only bedding and clothing but also sanitation tools such as buckets, shovels, spades and pipes.