Punjab govt announces free wheat seed to flood-hit farmers

The Punjab government on Monday ordered a slew of additional measures for relief and rehabilitation of the flood victims in various parts of the state, including supply of free high quality wheat seed to farmers for the upcoming Rabi season.

The announcement was made by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh after reviewing the post-flood action plan, as per an official statement.

Singh asked the additional chief secretary (development) to ensure timely supply of wheat seed to the flood affected farmers, who have already suffered huge losses as a result of damage to crops due to inundation of their fields in flood water.

He also asked the cooperation department to convert the short-term loans of the flood affected farmers into medium term loans. He has directed the registrar cooperative societies to advance fresh crop loan limits to such farmers to enable them to cultivate Rabi crop.

Taking note of the damage to the rural rink roads and other marketing infrastructure, he has directed the Mandi Board to take on repair work on war footing as the water recedes.

Singh has asked the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to move expeditiously for restoration of power supply in the flood ravaged villages.

The PSPCL chairperson has been asked to further intensify their efforts by employing special teams of engineers to complete power restoration work.

The chief minister has also ordered the principal secretary health to take effective measures to check the outbreak of diseases like diarrhoea, cholera, enteric fever, jaundice as well as vector-borne diseases like malaria, chikungunya, dengue.

Meanwhile, Punjab Water Resources Minister Sukhbinder Singh Sarkaria on Monday said three breaches -- 380 feet breach in Meonwal village, 180 feet in Meonwal Dera Pathra and 165 feet in Mau Sahib in embankment of the Sutlej river in Jalandhar's Phillaur area have been plugged.

While the work of plugging in the remaining breaches in Phillaur sub-division would be completed in the coming days, said Sarkaria.

In the wake of damage to the existing embankment along the Sutlej river on the side of Tendiwala village in Ferozepur district due to heavy discharge of water from the Pakistani side, the existing embankment has been fortified by the construction of a new ring embankment, official said.

The drainage department prepared a new ring embankment that will provide more strength and protection to the existing one, and subsequently guard against release of excess water from Pakistani side to Ferozepur.