Cell set up to tackle incidents of fires during harvest: Min

Punjab Power and Irrigation minister Rana Gurjeet Singh today said a round-the-clock state-level monitoring cell has been set up amid growing incidents of fires during the ongoing wheat harvesting season.
Talking to newsmen here at the residence of Congress state unit general secretary Harjit Singh Parmar, Rana said the cell would be linked with meteorological department and inform farmers about convulsive weather, especially storms.
It will have automatic system to switch off the power in such a weather for saving farmers from fire incidents, he said.
The cell would also hear problems of affected farmers, the minister said.
Besides, priority will be given to night time power supply to villages, he said.

Power lines will also be upgraded, he said.

Denying that there was any shortage of electricity, Rana claimed Punjab had surplus power.
We can supply power to Pakistan and Nepal if the central government allowed it, he said.
He said old power cables will be replaced, adding, "Work was in progress for replacing loose hanging old cables in urban areas."
Rana informed that a meeting will be held on Tuesday for chalking out plan to get canal land vacated.
"Encroachers of canal land will be severely dealt with while encroachments done during last ten years will be got vacated with iron hand," he said.

Claiming that corruption-free system will be provided, Rana said a third party audit would be carried out in case anything was found wanting any where.