Union minister Savitri Thakur visits flood-affected areas of Punjab's Hoshiarpur

Hoshiarpur, Sep 29 (PTI) Union Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Savitri Thakur, visited the flood-affected areas of Hoshiarpur district, Punjab, to review the situation there and interact with farmers, small business owners and villagers.

During her visit, she assured the people that the Narendra Modi government at the Centre is fully committed to providing relief and long-term solutions to tackle recurring challenges posed by floods.

Thakur said the Centre has already advanced the 21st installment of PM-Kisan Samman Nidhi on September 26 exclusively for farmers of Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh to provide immediate financial assistance to those affected by floods and landslides.

"Our goal is to ensure a permanent and lasting solution to the flood problem," Thakur later told reporters.

The minister also visited the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) Pong dam in Hoshiarpur and paid tributes at the memorial dedicated to labourers who lost their lives during its construction.

She reviewed the dam's structure and power generation system and described the project as a "lifeline" for lakhs of people in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan.

Farmer representatives, including Gurnam Singh, Satnam Singh Bagrahia and Baljit Singh -- all leaders of Pagri Sambhal Lehar Punjab --” handed over a memorandum to Thakur, which was addressed to Modi.

They demanded "accountability for flood damages, better maintenance and management of dams, compensation for crop and property loss, strengthening of embankments along the Ravi, Ujh, Chakki and Beas rivers, measures to curb illegal mining, and the upgrading of the government hospital in Talwara into a medical college".

On Sunday, Thakur visited several flood-hit villages, including Mehtabpur, Haler Janardhan, Salowal, Motla and Kolian in Mukerian subdivision, and Abdullapur, Fatta Kulla and Gandhowal in Tanda subdivision.

She interacted with affected families, especially women and children living in temporary shelters after losing their homes.

The minister noted that the floods had caused extensive damage to houses, standing crops and roads, leaving families struggling with their daily needs.

At the Rara Bridge over the Beas River on the Tanda “Shri Hargobindpur road, Thakur reviewed the damage in the surrounding areas with senior officials and suggested the construction of stud embankments to prevent the recurrence of such floods.

She said the prime minister had directed central agencies and departments to coordinate with state governments to ensure the speedy rehabilitation of affected families.

During her village visits, the minister also reviewed the status of sugarcane, paddy and wheat crops, livestock fodder and damaged homes, and shared details of the Centre's measures for relief. PTI COR SUN SKY SKY