'Don’t worry, Centre is with you': Shivraj Chouhan assures grief-struck Punjab farmers

Amritsar, Sep 4 Union Minister of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Shivraj Chouhan on Thursday visited Punjab’s flood-affected villages in Amritsar, Kapurthala and Gurdaspur districts and interacted with farmers and even went into knee-deep flooded fields to assess the damage to the crops, assuring them that “the BJP-led Central government is with them in this hour of crisis”.

During interaction, the farmers told the Union Minister about the huge damage to the crops, mainly paddy, which was about to harvest.

The Union Minister responded by telling them: “Brothers and sisters you should not worry, the government is with you.”

On reaching Amritsar in the morning, Governor Gulab Chand Kataria met the Union Minister at the airport and handed him a detailed report related to the flood, while other officials also informed the Union Minister about the crisis.

After meeting the Government, the Union minister headed for his day-long visit. He said the situation “is very serious, the crisis is terrible”.

“Due to the deluge, crops are submerged and destroyed completely. Around 1,400 villages are completely impacted. The fields are filled with water since August 26. The Ravi water is flowing in the fields. There is no soil under the feet, but silt has accumulated. The current crop has been destroyed, the next crop is also in danger. The pain and loss cannot be estimated,” Union Minister Chouhan was quoted as saying.

He said “seeing the situation, the heart melts, but we will definitely get our farmer brothers and sisters out of this problem. It’s challenging, but every possible effort will be made and full help will be provided to provide relief”.

He said on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central government has sent two high-level teams, comprising officials from the Ministries of Agriculture, Rural Development, Road, Energy, Finance and Jal Shakti, to assess the situation in Punjab.

He said these teams would visit the affected areas, assess the situation and submit their report to the Central government.

The Union Agriculture Minister said the entire country is proud of Punjab, this state has always stood as a shield for the country in times of crisis.

“I want to say that I have come on the instructions of the Prime Minister and in this hour of crisis, the government is standing firmly with our Punjab, with our farmer brothers and sisters of Punjab, with the people of Punjab. The government will definitely bring the farmers out of this disaster.”

He praised the local people as they “are fully engaged in the work of service in such times”.

For the past nine days, people of the Ajnala constituency in Amritsar have been suffering due to the devastating floods caused by the Ravi river.

To review the situation and ongoing relief efforts, Union Minister Chouhan paid a special visit to the severely affected border village of Ghohanewala.

He was accompanied by local MLA and former Cabinet Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, state government ministers, former ministers, MLAs, leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party, as well as senior district civil and police administration officials.

During the visit, Shivraj Singh Chouhan was briefed about the immediate relief being provided to the victims, rescue of lives, and rehabilitation measures.

He was also told about the satisfactory roles being played in this crisis by the Governor, the Indian Army, the BSF, the NDRF, other government agencies, and various social and religious organisations.

On this occasion, Dhaliwal appealed to the Union Minister for immediate central support for relief and rehabilitation of the affected people.

He explained that the Ajnala constituency lies along nearly 49 km of the India-Pakistan international border, and every year the Ravi river brings destruction and loss of life and property.

Border residents, alongside the BSF, the Punjab Police, and the civil administration, constantly act as a second line of defense against cross-border threats such as smuggling, arms, narcotics, and infiltration.

They have always stood firm during the wars of 1965, 1971, 1999 (Kargil), and most recently during Operation Sindoor.

Dhaliwal informed the Union Minister that since Independence, farmers and farm labourers of this region have turned barren and forested land into fertile fields through hard work, and have contributed significantly to the nation’s food grain reserves.

Earlier, Dhaliwal submitted a memorandum requesting an immediate financial package of Rs 2,000 crore in the first phase for flood relief and rehabilitation for Ajnala residents, as well as the release of pending Rs 60,000 crore owed by the Centre to the Punjab government.

In detailed discussions, Dhaliwal pointed out the current floods in the Ravi are even more devastating than those of 1988.

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