Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], September 5 (ANI): Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Friday flagged off nine trucks loaded with relief material for families and animals affected by floods across the state. The relief consignment has been dispatched on behalf of the Red Cross Society, Punjab, from the Punjab Raj Bhawan.

According to a release, the trucks are bound for Ferozepur, Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, Ludhiana, Malerkotla and Jalandhar. Relief will be distributed through the respective district Red Cross units to ensure timely delivery to those in need.

The supplies include family tents, tarpaulins, kitchen sets, blankets and nearly 7,000 household kits containing essentials such as rations, sanitary pads and soap. Alongside the Punjab Red Cross, in collaboration with NGOs, it has arranged 100 tonnes of animal fodder for the flood-affected regions.

Addressing the gathering, Governor Kataria said, 'It is the moral duty of society to provide relief and assistance to families affected by disasters like floods. The cooperation of Red Cross and various organisations strengthens the tradition of Punjab -- service, cooperation and human values.' He added that during his recent visits to seven flood-hit districts, he had personally witnessed the hardships faced by people, underscoring the need for collective efforts to support them.

The Governor further emphasised that the spirit of solidarity has always defined Punjab. 'People of Punjab have consistently stood by each other in times of crisis. Today, once again, we must unite to ensure affected families can return to normal life soon,' he said.

Just a day earlier, the Chandigarh Red Cross had sent two trucks of relief material to Amritsar, carrying 500 household kits, sanitary pad kits and 500 sets of utensils.

The flagging-off ceremony was attended by Principal Secretary to the Governor Vivek Pratap Singh, Deputy Commissioner Chandigarh Nishant Kumar Yadav, Secretary Punjab Red Cross Society Shiv Dular Singh Dhillon, along with officials from Punjab Raj Bhawan and the Red Cross Society Punjab. (ANI)