Union minister visits flood-hit areas, vows all help

Minister of State for Corporate Affairs, Road Transport and Highways Harsh Malhotra visited the flood-hit areas of Kapurthala today.

He visited Sheikh Manga and Takia villages in Kapurthala and applauded medical teams for essential healthcare services. He also interacted with local villagers, listened to their grievances and assured them of all possible support from the Modi government.

The minister chaired a meeting with the district administration in Kapurthala to assess the flood situation and review the relief efforts to the affected communities. The minister stated that his visit is the initiative of the Modi government's commitment and support for those affected by the recent floods. Ranjeet Singh Deol, BJP district president, Kapurthala, accompanied the minister during his visit.

Malhotra met with senior officials, including the Additional Deputy Magistrate (ADM), Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM), and heads of department (HoD) of Health, Veterinary, Education and other departments to review the current situation and the measures being taken to mitigate the effects of the floods, and highlighted areas that require immediate attention.

In addition to relief measures, he also reviewed the condition of national highways in Kapurthala and adjoining areas that have been affected by the floods along with officials from the PWD, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), and Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) and directed the authorities to ensure that the national highways are restored to normalcy at the earliest.

The minister reiterated Central Government’s support stressing on the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s September 9 visit to Gurdaspur and subsequent announcements for financial assistance of Rs 1,600 crore for Punjab, apart from Rs 12,000 crore already in the State Disaster Relief Fund. He said the PM also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to the seriously injured in the floods.

The minister reminded AAP of its duties and said if they (the party) did not fulfil the commitment to support the people of Kapurthala during these difficult times, people would not forget their negligence.