Amritsar (Punjab) [India], September 6 : Senior Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Saturday said that the floods in Punjab signify the "failure" of both the state and central government.
"The trucks are being dispatched. This flood is a result of the failure of the state government and the central government, and it is the state of Punjab that is bearing the brunt. The government is not providing information regarding damages to crops and farms, loss of life and livestock," Baghel, AICC general secretary in charge of Punjab, said while addressing the media here.
Labelling both state and central government "insensitive," Baghel claimed that people of Punjab have been left to fend for themselves since the government wasn't providing any kind of relief material to people affected by floods.
"The government is not providing any relief material to the affected people. The arrangements for drinking water and food are not being done properly. This is unfortunate. How can the state and central government be so insensitive? The Prime Minister has not even tweeted. They have left people in Punjab to fend for themselves," the Congress leader said.
"However, Congress stands with the victims in every situation. Party workers and leaders are heading to their respective regions to assess the situation. We are providing relief material to the people," Baghel added.
As the floods wreak havoc in Punjab, Congress today arranged for relief material for the flood-affected victims in many districts of the state.
Speaking to ANI, Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla said that trucks carrying essential supplies of food were dispatched to Firozpur and informed that the party was sending relief material to all the affected places.
"Punjab Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring sent the relief material. Punjab incharge Bhupesh Baghel will flag off this. Four trucks of relief supplies have been dispatched to Firozpur. Congress is sending this material to all the affected places. It has packets of food for people and 'chaara' for livestock. We have plenty of rations now. People have also managed to send relief material," the Amritsar MP said.
"The food grains in 40 -50 villages have been destroyed completely. We have to help people till November," Aujla added.
The death toll in Punjab amid chaos due to the floods has risen to 46, the state's Department of Information and Public Relations informed.
Earlier in the day, Punjab Rural Development Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond stated that approximately 24,930 people have been affected by the floods in the state, with 40 villages inundated.
Fazilika district is among the worst hit, with 22,652 people impacted, particularly in the Jalalabad and Fazilka constituencies.
"Due to floods in the Fazilka district, Jalalabad and Fazilka constituencies are most affected. Approximately 24,930 people have been affected, with 40 villages impacted by floods," said Sond.
He added that around 4,200 people have been shifted to safer locations. Moreover, 30 relief camps have also been established in the district. "17 government buildings have been affected in floods...4 teams of NDRF, two teams of Army, one team of BSF have been deployed in Fazilka," he said.
According to the minister, 8,600 ration kits were distributed to people affected by the floods.
"We are providing relief material to every family affected by the floods. Almost 8600 ration kits have been distributed," he said.
Despite ongoing relief efforts, heavy rains continue to worsen the situation.