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A high-powered Central team on Tuesday visited flood-affected areas of Punjab to assess damage with state officials briefing them on a controversial canal set up by neighbouring Haryana which they claimed has aggravated the situation.
The four-member inter-ministerial team visited some of the areas in worst-affected Patiala and Mansa districts and also studied visuals and clippings. The recent floods have claimed 25 lives in the state.
The team, led by Joint Secretary Home Affairs R P Nath, included Director of Agriculture and Cooperation Department and Directorate of Wheat Development Ghaziabad G K Chaudhary, Power Ministry Director R K Verma and Senior Regional Director in Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry Amarjeet Kaur.
Punjab officials led by Financial Commissioner (Revenue) Romila Dubey showed pictures of areas affected by devastating floods in a specially organised video show in Samana here.
The team also went through the pictures of Hansi Bhutana Canal near Azimgarh in Haryana adjoining Patiala district, which Punjab officials claimed blocked water in Ghaggar river, resulting in low-lying areas being submerged by flood water.
In Patiala district, the team visited flood-hit areas of Budmour, Ojahn, Adaltiwala and Ramnagar Gheara villages besides various sites where Ghaggar river had breached.
Later, speaking to media persons, Nath said the loss due to the floods was ""substantial" and lauded the administration for its relief works.
The team would submit a detailed report of the losses to the Central Government. The report would be the basis for financial assistance to the flood-affected people, he said.
Yesterday, the Central team had visited some of the flood-ravaged areas of Haryana, where 26 flood-related deaths have been reported.
Meanwhile, ruling Congress in Haryana hit out at Opposition INLD after it accused the state government of ignoring flood victims and delaying relief work "to gain political leverage".
"The Opposition is levelling baseless charges," Haryana Congress spokesman, Ved Prakash Vidrohi said.
INLD leader Ajay Singh Chautala had charged Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda with making "hollow" announcements regarding relief measures in flood-affected areas of the state.
The four-member inter-ministerial team visited some of the areas in worst-affected Patiala and Mansa districts and also studied visuals and clippings. The recent floods have claimed 25 lives in the state.
The team, led by Joint Secretary Home Affairs R P Nath, included Director of Agriculture and Cooperation Department and Directorate of Wheat Development Ghaziabad G K Chaudhary, Power Ministry Director R K Verma and Senior Regional Director in Union Health and Family Welfare Ministry Amarjeet Kaur.
Punjab officials led by Financial Commissioner (Revenue) Romila Dubey showed pictures of areas affected by devastating floods in a specially organised video show in Samana here.
The team also went through the pictures of Hansi Bhutana Canal near Azimgarh in Haryana adjoining Patiala district, which Punjab officials claimed blocked water in Ghaggar river, resulting in low-lying areas being submerged by flood water.
In Patiala district, the team visited flood-hit areas of Budmour, Ojahn, Adaltiwala and Ramnagar Gheara villages besides various sites where Ghaggar river had breached.
Later, speaking to media persons, Nath said the loss due to the floods was ""substantial" and lauded the administration for its relief works.
The team would submit a detailed report of the losses to the Central Government. The report would be the basis for financial assistance to the flood-affected people, he said.
Yesterday, the Central team had visited some of the flood-ravaged areas of Haryana, where 26 flood-related deaths have been reported.
Meanwhile, ruling Congress in Haryana hit out at Opposition INLD after it accused the state government of ignoring flood victims and delaying relief work "to gain political leverage".
"The Opposition is levelling baseless charges," Haryana Congress spokesman, Ved Prakash Vidrohi said.
INLD leader Ajay Singh Chautala had charged Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda with making "hollow" announcements regarding relief measures in flood-affected areas of the state.
