- Final report to be sent to Central Govt to seek necessary assistance for restoration, says Agriculture Minister
Chandigarh, August 29:
To ensure swift restoration of road connectivity crucial for the upcoming Kharif procurement season, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian today directed the Punjab Mandi Board officials to immediately prepare and submit a detailed assessment report on the damage caused to link roads due to recent floods.
S. Khudian, along with Punjab Mandi Board Chairman S. Harchand Singh Barsat, reviewed the status of Mandi Board roads in flood hit areas during a high-level meeting with officials from the Agriculture Department and the Punjab Mandi Board officials here at his office.
The Agriculture Minister said that the final report will be sent to the Central Government expeditiously to seek necessary assistance for restoration.
“Our focus is to ensure that every grain of our farmers’ produce can reach the mandis without any hindrance. The first step is to have a complete picture of the damage to our rural link roads so that restoration work can begin on a war footing,” said S. Khudian.
In addition to the flood damage assessment, the meeting also reviewed the progress of ongoing link road projects initiated by the Punjab Government.
To fast-track pending works, S. Khudian and S. Barsat ordered that all necessary approvals for the repair and upgradation of link roads be cleared immediately, enabling tenders to be floated and work to commence at the earliest.
The Administrative Secretary of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare department Dr. Basant Garg also directed the officials to expedite the execution of all the ongoing development projects of the Mandi Board, while stating that these measures are a key part of the Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann-led government’s commitment to strengthening agricultural infrastructure and supporting farmers, especially in the wake of natural calamities.
Secretary Punjab Mandi Board Mr. Ramvir, Chief Engineer Punjab Mandi Board S. Gurinder Singh Cheema and Chief Engineer Punjab Mandi Board S. Amandeep Singh and other senior officials were also present in the meeting.
