Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday dared the State Congress president Partap Singh Bajwa to get the amount of flood compensation hiked from their Government at the Centre for helping the victims of this natural calamity in the State.
Badal, addressing a gathering during his visit in the flood-affected water-logged areas of Sri Muktsar Sahib district, said that rather than shedding crocodile tears over this grave issue, Congress leaders including Bajwa should take up case of enhancing the meagre compensation given to victims of natural tragedy, with the Union Government.
“Punjab Congress leaders owe an answer to the flood victims for their stoic silence against the riders imposed by Centre, which are debarring the State Government from helping them. Congress leaders are criticising the State Government but, on the other hand, they are mum over the meagre compensation being given by the Centre to the flood victims for unprecedented loss due to fury of floods in water logged areas,” added Badal.
He added said that “Bajwa and Company”, by issuing senseless and irrational statements in the media, were just rubbing salts into the wounds of the distressed victims who have been virtually vanished by the fury of floods.
Advising Congress leaders to do something constructive instead of politicking on this grave tragedy, Badal also cautioned them saying that people of state would not forgive them for their sinful activities and dubious role. Soliciting active support and co-operation of the people for constructing the drains as per natural flow of water, the Chief Minister said that it would help in combating the menace of water logging in the state more effectively.
Badal said that he had also sought the support of the Central Government’s experts to guide the state government officers for strengthening, widening and upgrading drains to check the menace of water-logging.