Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has strongly criticised the Centre’s financial aid of ₹1,600 crore for the recent Punjab floods, saying the assistance is far below the actual losses suffered by the state.
Punjab Flood Loss Estimated at ₹13,800 Crore
Speaking to NDTV, Mr Mann said the initial assessment of damage is around ₹13,800 crore, and the final figure will likely be much higher. He called the central aid package a “drop in the ocean” compared to the massive destruction caused by the floods.
“What will we do with ₹1,600 crore? Are they joking? The loss is nearly ₹14,000 crore,” Mann said.
He also alleged that the Centre has withheld ₹8,000 crore from Punjab’s Rural Development Fund (RDF), which is collected as a cess on agricultural trade and used to maintain roads and mandis (wholesale markets).
The SDRF Fund Dispute: “BJP Added a Zero”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while announcing the aid, claimed that Punjab has ₹12,000 crore unused in its State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF). Mr Mann rejected this claim, presenting detailed records.
According to Mann:
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Since 2010, Punjab has received a total of ₹5,012 crore in SDRF funds.
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Out of this, ₹3,820 crore has already been spent.
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The current balance is only around ₹1,200 crore.
“The BJP simply added a zero and made it ₹12,000 crore. This is false and misleading,” he said.
Pending GST Dues of ₹50,000 Crore
The Chief Minister also accused the Centre of withholding nearly ₹50,000 crore of Punjab’s share of GST revenue.
“Just release this amount. We don’t need any ‘special package’. With our rightful GST share, Punjab can manage its flood relief operations,” Mann argued.
Devastating Impact of Punjab Floods
Punjab is facing its worst floods in decades, caused by overflowing rivers — Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi — along with heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Punjab itself.
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55 lives lost
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2,000+ villages affected
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Nearly 4 lakh people displaced
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1.93 lakh hectares of crops destroyed
Relief efforts are ongoing with the help of:
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14 Army columns
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8 NDRF teams
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2 SDRF teams
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2 Engineer Task Force teams
Mann Demands ₹20,000 Crore Relief Package
Ahead of PM Modi’s recent visit to Punjab’s Gurdaspur district, the state government demanded at least ₹20,000 crore in relief funds. Mann insisted that anything less would not be enough to rebuild lives, restore damaged infrastructure, and support farmers who have lost crops.
