Punjab in emergency mode, chief secy told to release Rs 1 cr to border dist DCs

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday put the entire government and political machinery in an emergency mode following reports of developments on the Indo-Pak border following Indian army’s surgical strikes along the Line of Control.

Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday put the entire government and political machinery in an emergency mode following reports of developments on the Indo-Pak border following Indian army’s surgical strikes along the Line of Control.

The CM directed the DCs to identify suitable location for setting up camps.(HT File)

Union Home Minister . Rajnath Singh spoke to Badal over the telephone this morning to request him to immediately start the process of evacuation of the people residing in the villages falling within ten kilometres of the International border in view of the escalating situation.

Rs 1 cr to border districts’ DCs

He also directed the chief secretary to immediately release Rs 1 crore each to all the deputy commissioners of six border districts to meet out any exigency arising out of these prevailing situation.

Evacuation process

Badal directed the chief secretary and DGP to ask the concerned deputy commissioners (DCs) and senior superintendents of police (SSPs) to oversee the entire evacuation process in the border districts of Ferozepur, Fazilka, Amritsar, Taran Tarn, Gurdaspur and Pathankot.

The CM directed the DCs to identify suitable location for setting up camps.

Badal also spoke to the concerned cabinet ministers and MLAs to camp in these border districts to keep close liaison with the district administration to ensure the safe movement of the residents of the villages within the close proximity of International border.

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Cabinet meet

The Chief Minister has also called an emergency meeting of state cabinet at 6 pm to review the entire situation in the wake of recent developments on the border and advisory issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).

The meeting was attended by chief secretary Sarvesh Kaushal, principal secretary to CM SK Sandhu, DGP Suresh Arora and special principal secretary to CM Gaggandip Singh Brar.