Majithia takes stock of arrangements in border areas

Punjab Revenue Minister Bikram Singh Majithia today paid a visit to border areas in this district to take stock of the make-shift arrangements for the people who have been evacuated from the areas near Indo-Pak border.
He said financial grant for the make-shift arrangements has been released by the state government to the district administration and vowed to provide "help and support" to the people.
He said six temporary camps have been set up at Sugar Mill in Bhalla village, Gurudwara Guru Ki Baag Ajnala, Gurudwara Jago Shaheed Khiala, Senior Secondary School Bhakna, Senior Secondary School Khasa and Gurdwara Guru Ki Wadali Cheerata. Six more camps are being set up at other places, he added.

The minister said arrangements for food, accommodation, medical support, electricity and toilet have been made for the the people.
Fodder is also being arranged for animals, he added.
Majithia said instructions have been issued to the police administration to guard the houses of the people who have been evacuated to safer places.

He said Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has asked the Union Petroleum Minister to increase the supply of diesel and petrol in the area.
Majithia said that the administration will provide all support to the farmers to cultivate the paddy crop and also appealed to the people not to harvest premature crop.

He said the government is committed to ensure purchase of paddy brought to mandis.
"People of Punjab are very brave and even have shown their strength in the past instances and wholeheartedly supported the national cause," Majithia said, while urging people not to be panic due to rumours and remain cautious.
"We should cooperate with our security forces as they are here to protect us," he said.
Meanwhile, 'Lokhit Abhiyaan' supremo and former MP Jagmeet Singh Brar also visited villages along the International Border and met displaced villagers in the evacuee camps set up in Fazilka district.
"The people of Punjab have always been the first line of defence for our nation and we will proudly support our jawans in every possible way," he said, adding that the government should assist the farmers who will be affected by the prevailling situation.

With six districts of Punjab sharing their boundaries with Pakistan, the Centre had yesterday asked the state government to immediately start evacuation of people residing in villages within 10 kms of International Border in the wake of the "surgical strikes" carried out by the Indian Army on terror launch pads across the LoC.