Shun blame game, Sukhbir tells Mann

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal has asked Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann to stop playing “blame game” and instead concentrate on providing compensation to farmers.

He visited Dera Baba Nanak and flagged off 250 tractor-trailers carrying maize silage. He also visited Bahadurpur Rajoya village along the Beas in Sri-Hargobindpur Assembly seat.

Having dispatched hundreds of fogging machines to flood-hit villages, he also instructed YAD members to monitor their operations. “Twenty-five trucks of maize silage were dispatched for Patti and Khadoor Sahib constituencies from Sri Muktsar Sahib silage plant on Sunday,” said a SAD spokesman.

Sukhbir also spoke to Gurdaspur Deputy Commissioner (DC) Dalwinderjit Singh and apprised him of some important issues. He assured him that his party would come forward to extend all possible help to the administration and the villagers suffering due to floods.

“AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal is only interested in looting Punjab resources. The CM has refused to release money for flood relief operations or compensation for crop damage. Water was allowed to accumulate for 20 days during the monsoon season in the Ranjit Sagar Dam before it was released in one go after it crossed the danger mark. The abrupt release of water for three successive days destroyed crops on lakhs of acres. The gates of the Madhopur barrage had also collapsed due to criminal negligence on part of the AAP government,” he added.