Chandigarh, Sep 6 (IANS) Former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and the Congress general secretary Bhupesh Bhagel on Saturday said floods in Punjab were a man-made disaster that led to a large-scale devastation in major parts of the state and timely action could have prevented major losses.

The state party in-charge said his party’s demand for a comprehensive and substantial flood relief package for the state.

He regretted the delay on part of the Central government to provide interim relief for the flood-hit people.

Accompanied by senior party leaders including state party president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi and others, Bhagel visited several areas affected by floods in Tarn Taran and interacted with people there.

He said while this was no time to play politics on floods at the same time the state government and the administration cannot escape the responsibility for not taking preventive and precautionary measures in advance.

“There has been complete negligence on part of the state government and the administration under it to visualize the situation in view of the forecast of an above normal monsoon this year,” he said.

“We were already neck deep in water and the state government was caught napping,” he said, while adding, it woke up to the problem quite late when everything had literally been washed away.

The senior Congress leader regretted that both the state and the Central governments still seem to be indifferent towards the plight of the flood-hit people in Punjab.

While the state administration is as good as collapsed, the Central government has also been very insensitive and indifferent, he said. He questioned the unusual delay in providing an immediate relief package for the flood-hit people.

He said while the comprehensive package may take time the Central government should have provided interim relief for the flood victims.

He wondered why the Central government was delaying the relief when it knew it had to provide the same.

Bhagel, who is on a two-day visit to Punjab to assess the flood situation and review relief efforts by party workers, visited Dhunda in Khadoor Sahib, Gatta Badshah in Zira, Nihal Lavera in Ferozepur, Naubram Sher Singh Jaba in Guruharsahai, Walle Shah Uttar and Noorshah in Fazilka, Rukne Wala and Dutti Wala Bandh in Zira.

Tomorrow, he will tour the flood-hit areas of Ghonewal in Ajnala, Dharamkot Randhawa and the Dera Baba Nanak Corridor in Gurdaspur district.

–IANS

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