Chandigarh, Sep 5 : As Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann remained indisposed owing to a high fever, the Cabinet meeting scheduled on Friday was cancelled, officials said.

The Chief Minister cancelled his visit to flood-hit villages along with AAP's national convener Arvind Kejriwal in Kapurthala district on Thursday at the last minute as he was unwell and was not in a condition to travel.

The Cabinet meeting was convened against the backdrop of the massive relief and rescue operations underway in the flood-ravaged state, which has witnessed 43 deaths.

As per the government, around 1,698 villages in 23 districts have been inundated due to floods, affecting more than 3.80 lakh people in the state.

Kejriwal on Thursday said Chief Minister Mann was scheduled to join him in the flood-affected areas, but fell ill after touring the region continuously for three to four days without proper rest or meals. "I met him this morning and requested him to take a rest for two days because his health has deteriorated. Yet, even in this condition, his only concern was how to provide maximum relief to the people of Punjab," he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mann has directed that a gazetted officer be deployed in every marooned village to supervise the process. He said to ensure direct communication between the administration and the people, a gazetted officer will be sent to each village. He said this will enable people affected by the natural disaster to share all kinds of problems with them and ensure a prompt and appropriate solution.

Also, all Cabinet ministers are reaching out to various villages and flood-affected areas to provide relief materials and assistance. They visited vulnerable areas to strengthen the embankment of the rivers.

Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has called upon the Centre to demonstrate the same humanitarian spirit towards Punjab as it has shown in extending aid to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. He questioned the Union government's priorities, asking why relief materials were swiftly dispatched to Afghanistan, while flood-affected Punjab is facing delays in receiving financial and humanitarian assistance.

/IANS