Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Ajnala Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, along with a delegation comprising sarpanches, chairmen and Zila Parishad members from the constituency, met Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Tuesday and urged him to take up the long-pending issues of recurring floods, construction of the Ujh Dam and development of the border region with the Central Government.
Highlighting the plight of the people of Ajnala, MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said, “Every year, the people of Ajnala suffer massive destruction due to the waters of the Ravi and Ujh rivers. The water of the Ujh River, which originates from Jammu and Kashmir, passes through Pathankot, Sujanpur, Dinanagar, Gurdaspur and Dera Baba Nanak before reaching Ajnala and then flowing into Pakistan. By the time it reaches Ajnala, it causes massive destruction. Farmers lose their crops, roads are damaged, schools collapse and fertile agricultural land is washed away.”
He further said, “The continuous threat of floods has also affected the economic development of the region. No one is willing to establish industries in an area where there is a constant fear of floods and destruction. The people of Ajnala deserve permanent protection from this recurring crisis and a clear path towards sustainable development.”
Drawing the Governor’s attention to the long-pending proposal for construction of a dam on the Ujh River, the AAP MLA stated, “The Central Government’s plan to construct a dam on the Ujh River has been pending for the last 10 to 12 years. I have requested the Governor to strongly raise this issue with the Prime Minister and the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti so that the construction of the dam can be completed at the earliest.”
Raising another pending issue, the AAP MLA stated, “I also brought to the Governor’s notice the ₹1,600 crore compensation announced by the Prime Minister last time, which has still not been received. The people of the affected areas are waiting for this assistance and the matter needs to be resolved at the earliest.”
Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal said that the Governor heard the delegation patiently and assured them that he would soon arrange a meeting between the delegation and the Union Jal Shakti Minister.