Chandigarh, Sep 8 (PTI) As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit flood-ravaged Punjab on Tuesday, the ruling AAP has demanded that he announces a relief package of Rs 20,000 crore for the border state.
Punjab is currently facing one of its worst flood disasters in decades. The death toll due to the devastating floods stands at 48 while crops on 1.76 lakh hectares have been damaged.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Himachal Pradesh and Punjab on Tuesday to review the flood situation.
On Monday, Punjab Cabinet ministers Aman Arora, Barinder Kumar Goyal and Dr Balbir Singh demanded that the PM should announce a relief package of at least Rs 20,000 crore for the state during his visit.
Reiterating his cabinet’s demand, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, in a late evening post on X, said he hopes that the PM will announce a comprehensive relief package to compensate Punjab and its people for the losses caused by the natural calamity.
Mann (51), who is recovering in Fortis Hospital in Mohali where he was admitted after he complained of exhaustion and low heart rate on September 5, in his post on X, also said, “The Hon’ble Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, is visiting Punjab tomorrow, and I welcome him. I am unwell, otherwise I would have personally taken him to visit all the flood-affected areas”.
During his visit in Punjab, PM Modi will also conduct an aerial survey of the flood-affected areas. He will visit Gurdaspur and hold discussions with senior officials and chair a review meeting on the ground situation.
He will also interact with flood-affected persons as well as NDRF, SDRF and Aapda Mitra Team in Gurdaspur.
Modi was deeply concerned about the flood situation in Punjab and was closely monitoring it, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar on Sunday said.
The AAP leaders also demanded that the central government should release Rs 60,000 crore of the state’s funds.
A few days ago, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had written to Modi to release Rs 60,000 crore of the state’s funds, which he claimed were “stuck” with the government of India while highlighting that the state was grappling with one of the worst flood disasters in decades.
Speaking to reporters, Aman Arora said, “Even though the PM has not uttered a word yet for the flood-hit Punjab, he is our PM and I welcome him with folded hands for his visit. I also expect that he should be seen standing by Punjab during his visit,” Arora told reporters here.
Referring to Mann’s recent letter to the PM, Arora said it is Punjab’s right and it should be released.
Noting that the prevailing flood situation was even worse than the 1988 deluge, Arora said, “the Centre should announce a relief package of at least Rs 20,000 crore for Punjab.” He stated that over 4.50 lakh acres of crops have been damaged in the floods, besides loss of livestock and damage to houses.
There is going to be a challenge for farmers for growing the next crop as the silt is deposited in the flood-hit fields, Arora, who is also the president of the AAP’s Punjab unit, said.
“We welcome your (PM) arrival but you should also announce release of state’s Rs 60,000 crore and a relief package of Rs 20,000 crore in the hour of crisis,” he said.
Accusing the Centre of meting out step-motherly treatment towards Punjab, Arora questioned the silence of Punjab’s BJP leaders during the crisis, suggesting they should focus on securing a special package for the state instead of just indulging in “photo ops”.
He slammed Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan for blaming illegal mining in rivers for flooding, accusing him of engaging in “disaster tourism” by getting pictures clicked during his recent visit to Punjab.
On September 4, Chouhan visited the affected areas in Punjab and inspected the extent of crop damage and called it a situation of ‘jal pralai (deluge) and also assured farmers that the Centre would make every effort to bail them out of this crisis.
Arora said the state’s dire situation demands concrete action, not just token gestures.
The AAP leader also demanded a hike in flood compensation as over 4.50 lakh acres of farmland has submerged, over 3 lakh livestock have been affected and several houses damaged by the recent devastating deluge.
The minister reaffirmed that the AAP government firmly stands with the people of Punjab and is taking every possible step to recuperate the state from this natural fury.
He emphasised that the government will continue to advocate for the Centre’s support and ensure that Punjab’s voice is heard at the highest levels, pushing for the necessary relief and assistance to address the state’s challenges.
Meanwhile, floods in Punjab have damaged health infrastructure worth Rs 780 crore according to initial estimates, state Health Minister Dr Balbir Singh said on Monday.
“Our machinery and medicines worth Rs 130 crore have been damaged. Severe damage has been caused to our 1,280 dispensaries and health and wellness centres. A total of 101 community health centres have been damaged,” the minister told reporters Water Resources minister Goyal too urged the PM to demonstrate magnanimity in providing assistance to the flood-affected people of Punjab.
The floods in Punjab are a result of swollen Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers along with seasonal rivulets caused by heavy rainfall in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
Besides, heavy rains in recent days in Punjab also intensified the flooding situation, aggravating the challenges faced by residents. PTI CHS VSD NB NB
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