Badal to visit rain-affected, water-logged areas of Punjab

Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal will visit rain-affected and water-logged areas of Punjab including Mansa, Fazilka and Sri Muktsar Sahib districts from September 13-15.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an event in Talwandi Sabo assembly constituency, Badal said his visit to flood affected areas of Punjab was aimed at getting first hand information of the losses incurred, hastening the pace of rescue operations wherever needed, ensuring that the people in the affected areas get adequate civil supplies and food.
He also said that damage to crops and land due to the recent spell of heavy rains will be assessed.

Badal said the policies framed by previous Congress-led UPA government at Centre "had tied the hands of the state government due to which we were forced to award meagre compensation for natural disasters".
"But now with the NDA government at the helm of affairs, we expect a major hike in the quantum of existing compensation norms..," he said.
Asked to comment on reports that Jammu and Kashmir had recently turned down Punjab's plea to let it resume the construction at the Shahpur Kandi dam site, which was stopped some time back, Badal said that Punjab was open for settling the matter amicably.

J&K had ordered to stop work as over 60 per cent of the project area falls in their state and according to their officials, certain issues pertaining to the project still remained to be decided.

"J&K government is pre-occupied with relief work after the state witnessed the worst flood in decades. At this juncture, we do not want to disturb them. This contentious matter would be soon resolved harmoniously," he asserted.
Responding to a query on the opposition Congress' demand for white paper on the financial affairs of Punjab, Badal said Congress before raising any such demand should introspect to ascertain the reasons which forced its leaders to lick the dust even in their home constituencies in the 2014 polls.

Asked about any possibility of partnering with INLD for Haryana upcoming assembly elections, he said that the Shiromani Akali Dal was ready to forge alliance with parties which were willing to form anti-Congress government.