The Punjab government has announced that various types of assistance will be provided to the flood victims. The process of distributing relief checks will start from October 17. Rs 1 million for the families of the deceased, Rs 1 million for the completely destroyed houses, Rs 5 million for the completely destroyed houses, Rs 50 thousand for the loss of large livestock, Rs 50 thousand for the loss of small animals, Rs 20 thousand per acre for 25% loss in crops. And although other figures are presented in beautiful tables, in their background, relatives and friends were separated, fields were washed away, houses collapsed, livestock were killed by the strong waves coming from India, some villages were destroyed to such an extent that water is still standing in them. The Punjab government has announced that checks will be distributed from the 17th. The news was published in a daily newspaper.
There will be a wave of joy, but just imagine, as soon as that morning comes, men and women of the villages, old people, young people, old mothers, uncles, many widows will be seen standing in a queue outside the government office with their identity cards, some holding a picture of their collapsed house, some holding their farm papers, etc. Hey, the flood has tormented them so much, made them hungry, took away their shoes, clothes, everything.
Those problems were not few that now this new incident has come that the officer is telling someone. Bibi is one paper short, come tomorrow, uncle, the papers of your land are not complete, come tomorrow, he told someone your house has collapsed but this wall is still standing, that is why you cannot get the full 10 lakhs, he will tell someone your husband has passed away but where is the marriage certificate? Saab, Saab! Listen to me, the entire village is a witness to this marriage, ask everyone. When the sahib says this, come tomorrow with the marriage certificate. The entire village will be raising its voice for testimony, everyone will be listening, but (sahib) will not be heard, because what he has said, he has said it all.
The old man looked at the land papers and said, "Fill the form, get it verified and come tomorrow." In this way, if everyone wants to come tomorrow, then from such a far-off village, crossing the flowing water in between, sitting in a boat, walking barefoot in the water, paying 500 or 1000 rupees for a rickshaw, with what kind of difficulties and hardships, these aspirants stood in a queue from morning till evening and got the answer that coming tomorrow would be okay for them.
The one whose house collapsed and became a pile of rubble, the uncle was standing there questioning, sir must have said or maybe he would have said, fill out the form and bring it for verification. Sir, my house was washed away. I don't even have any bricks left to testify about the house. How can I get it verified now? Now I don't even have the return fare, how can I come tomorrow?
How good it would have been if the Punjab government itself had come to the village gates. If a government vehicle had stopped in front of the rubble of the collapsed house. The tearful uncle, with a sad expression and a disappointed face, had called and said that the government was relieved. The waves sent by India, taller than a human, had also demolished the house and these hostile waves had also stolen the property and belongings.
The government has also received full testimony, confirmation has also been received, uncle, take this check for 1 million and go to the bank and cash it. Uncle might say thank you very much and the people might say no uncle, just smile once, that is enough for us. What a beautiful scene it would have been when for the first time instead of complaining, there was gratitude on the face of the farmer. Instead of standing in queues, enduring the scorching sun and rain, and looking at the flood victims with hungry and thirsty eyes, the aid would have been received with dignity at their broken doors. This is not just financial help but the disappointment of broken hearts, returning disappointed and singing songs of happiness. It would have adorned the faces with smiles.
It was said that compensation of 20,000 per acre will be given for the loss of crops and it will be considered as 25% loss for those whose entire fields are flooded. The hope of sowing the next crop has disappeared, support them, make arrangements to drain the water from the fields, the fields are covered with mud and silt.
The government announced immediate assistance for the management of wastewater drainage, making the fields ready for sowing and plowing. Take this amount of one lakh rupees while standing on the fields and also provide real seeds and fertilizers. Now the seeds that have been given are seeds that can withstand the moisture of flood water, not ordinary seeds. Sow them and improve your land, the time for sowing wheat crop is passing, do this work as soon as possible.
The farmers of Punjab's affected areas are still living in the hope that the current government will not just announce but knock on their doors. In this regard, there is probably no mention of any assistance for those daughters whose jewelry, dowry equipment and belongings were lost in the flood. But there was probably no dowry box in any of the government's lists, if there was, this little one is currently unaware of it. When a mother complained to the officer about the loss of dowry and jewelry, the officer might have said, "Mum, under what category should I write this loss? It is neither for livestock nor for the destruction of the house. In what category should I put it?"
Mother must have said in sorrowful tones that this loss is not of the field, nor of the house, nor of the livestock, but of the mother's broken, sorrowful heart, which has no limit or end.
These were the dreams of a daughter that a widowed mother spent years piecing together, a few ornaments, a few utensils, some clothes and a mirror in which a mother could see her daughter's future, all were taken away by the floodwaters that came from India. Perhaps the Chief Minister of Punjab will feel the pain of a daughter and a mother and will also order the marriage of such girls. Perhaps before October 17, an order will be issued to write a box, a paragraph, to write the mother's pain and the daughter's screams. The water has flowed, but the widowed mother's prayer is waiting for this government to grant it.
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