**Policy Summary:**
On September 17, 2025, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh visited flood-affected villages in the Pathankot district of Punjab to assess infrastructure damage and oversee relief efforts. Accompanied by local administration officials, including Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal and Superintendent of Police Daljinder Singh Dhillon, Dr. Singh issued immediate instructions for scaling up repairs to damaged infrastructure, particularly bridges, and directed the prompt submission of preliminary damage assessment reports.
The Minister emphasized the Prime Minister's close monitoring of rehabilitation efforts and infrastructure reconstruction across all 23 districts of Punjab. Temporary shelters are being arranged for displaced victims, and alternative land arrangements are being made for those whose land was lost to the floods. Future reconstructed infrastructure will be built to higher standards to better withstand future flooding.
Central teams are also assessing the flood damage in Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir, focusing on housing, roads, bridges, cropland, and other infrastructure. These teams will submit reports to the Government of India to inform further rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts. The visit included inspections of Polla, Kohlian, the Ravi riverbed, and areas along the Ravi and Jlali rivers in Bamial, Chal, Amir, Simbal Sakol, Dhinda, and Bhupalpur.
A press note from the Deputy Commissioner indicated significant damage in Kolia Adda, where the Ravi River swept away approximately 600 meters of embankment, affecting around 700 residents. Thirty-five houses belonging to Gujjar families were destroyed, and approximately 30 houses and 30 shops belonging to local residents were severely damaged. The Minister chaired a review meeting with officials on Monday to discuss these issues.
Key Entities Referenced
Dr Jitendra Singh: Minister of Personnel, Public Grievances Pensions, monitoring flood rehabilitation efforts and reconstruction in Punjab.
Prime Minister Modi: Monitoring the rehabilitation of flood victims and reconstruction of damaged infrastructure.
Pathankot, Punjab: Flood-affected district in Punjab visited by Dr Jitendra Singh to assess damage and issue instructions.
Punjab: State where extensive flood damage occurred across 23 districts, requiring rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.
Ravi River: River whose flooding caused significant damage, washing away embankments and affecting residents.
Jammu and Kashmir: Region along with Punjab being assessed by Central teams for flood damage to infrastructure and property.
Deputy Commissioner Pathankot, Aditya Uppal: Led the administration team accompanying the Union Minister during the assessment of flood damage.
Kolia Adda: Village in Pathankot district, Punjab that suffered significant damage with 700 residents affected
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Minister Dr Jitendra Singh visits several flood-
affected villages of Pathankot, Punjab; issues on the
spot instructions;
Says, Prime Minister Modi is monitoring the
rehabilitation of floods victims and reconstruction of
damaged infrastructure
The Minister is also monitoring the reconstruction
work in all 23 districts of Punjab; receives daily
reports on the work from the administration on the
ground
The Minister issues instructions to the local
administration to scale up repair of damaged
infrastructure like bridges; asks the authorities to
submit preliminary assessment reports on damage
caused at the earliest
Dr Jitendra Singh says temporary shelters are being
arranged immediately for the victims till a permanent
arrangement is made in terms of reconstructed
houses; informs alternate arrangement also being
made for providing land to those whose land got
washed away by flood watersAll reconstructed structures to be of better quality to
withstand floods in future: Dr Jitendra
Posted On: 17 SEP 2025 5:55PM by PIB Chandigarh
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today visited several villages of Pathankot district in Punjab to
assess the damage caused to the public infrastructure during the recent floods.
Accompanied by administration team led by Deputy Commissioner Pathankot, Aditya Uppal and
Superintendent of Police Dhillon, the Union Minister issued several on the spot instructions which
were promptly followed up, to the great satisfaction and joy of local people.
The Union Minister visited villages, namely Polla, Kohlian and the river bed of Ravi. Besides, he
also visited places along the rivers Ravi and Jlali in Bamial, Chal, Amir, Simbal Sakol, Dhinda and
Bhupalpur. On the occasion, the Union Minister was briefed on the level of damage suffered during
the calamity.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is monitoring the rehabilitation of the victims
and reconstruction work with respect to the damaged infrastructure. The Minister said he is also
monitoring the work being undertaken in all 23 districts of Punjab, and today’s visit to the affected
villages is part of the same.
Dr Jitendra Singh directed the local administration to scale up repair of damaged infrastructure like
bridges and instructed them to submit preliminary assessment reports on the damage caused at the
earliest. The Minister said learning from the past experience, new structures built would be of better
quality in terms of height and width of culverts and bridges.
The Minister said, rehabilitation of the victims is being arranged immediately through temporary
shelters till a permanent arrangement is made for reconstruction. Dr Jitendra Singh informed that
alternate arrangement of land is being made by the administration wherever the land has been
washed away by flood waters. The Minister said he chaired a review meeting with officials on
Monday
The Union Minister said that Central teams are also visiting the flood-affected areas of Punjab and
Jammu and Kashmir. He said these teams would submit reports to the Government of India on the
level of damaged to houses, roads, bridges, crop land and other infrastructure. He reaffirmed the
Union government’s commitment to the rehabilitation of the affected population and rebuilding of
damaged infrastructure in both Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir
During today’s visit to the flood-hit villages of Pathankot, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh was
accompanied by the officers from PWD, R&B, PHE and agriculture led Deputy Commissioner
Aditya Uppal and SSP, Daljinder Singh Dhillon.
According to a press noted shared by Deputy Commissioner on floods, the swollen Ravi swept
away a large tract of embankments towards west of Kolian, affecting about 700 residents at Kolia
Adda. About 600 metres of embankment was washed away. 35 houses of Gujjar families were
washed away. About 30 houses pf local residents were severely damaged. Nearly 30 shops were
also severely damaged at the Adda which is an upfront of Kolia village falling under sub tehsil Narot
Jaimal Singh in the district.*****
PIB Chandigarh: Sheenam Jain
(Release ID: 2167683)