Punjab CM deploys his helicopter to evacuate people in flood-hit areas

Gurdaspur (Punjab), Aug 27 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday announced that his official helicopter would be deployed to evacuate people and send relief material to stranded families in flood-affected areas of the state.

"The people had given this helicopter to us by giving a whopping mandate, and now we are pressing it in the service of people in this hour of crisis," the Chief Minister said in a statement.

The Chief Minister, who undertook a tour of the flood-affected areas in Gurdaspur district, said several people are stuck in marooned villages and need immediate help.

Mann said to ensure prompt and timely evacuation of the stranded people, a helicopter of the state government has been pressed into service.

He said from now onwards he will visit flood-hit areas by car, whereas helicopters will be pressed into service for the people.

Interacting with people, the Chief Minister said flood control rooms have been set up in all districts, and the government is committed to duly compensating the people for every single penny of loss incurred by them on account of heavy and incessant rainfall across the state.

He said he is monitoring the situation every moment by taking regular updates from across the state, and a regular tab is being kept through district administrations in the entire state regarding the level of water and the relief measures being carried out in these districts.

The Chief Minister said the government is duty-bound to help the people in this hour of grave crisis, and no stone is being left unturned for this noble cause. He said succour is being provided even to the last person in the far-flung areas, adding special thrust is being laid to ensure relief in the worst-affected areas so that people do not face any sort of problem.

The Chief Minister said already all the Cabinet ministers, MLAs, and officers are already in their respective areas and reaching out to the needy people in this hour of grave crisis. He said that an elaborate mechanism has been put in place to safeguard the life and property of people from the increasing level of water, adding that Deputy Commissioners (DCs) and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSPs) are expediting the relief work in their respective districts so as to provide succour to the masses.

The Chief Minister said massive relief and rescue operations are already going on to ensure that people do not face any sort of problem. He also said the government has already ordered a special ‘girdawari’ to ascertain the loss incurred by people due to floods in the state.

--IANS

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