AAP govt failed to keep promise of compensating flood-hit people: Punjab BJP

Chandigarh, Oct 29 (PTI) The BJP's Punjab unit on Wednesday accused the AAP government of failing to deliver on its promises to the flood-affected people and warned that it would launch a state-wide agitation if the dispensation "continues to evade its responsibility".

The opposition party in Punjab also alleged that the Bhagwant Mann dispensation "misled" the flood-hit people by announcing that compensation would be disbursed within 45 days, but did nothing at the ground level.

Punjab BJP vice president Subhash Sharma said that on September 12, CM Mann announced that the flood-affected farmers would receive A compensation of Rs 20,000 per acre within 45 days.

More than 45 days have passed, yet most affected families are still deprived of government aid, he claimed.

Sharma also said the state government has repeatedly claimed that special crop assessments have been completed and relief would be issued immediately. "But the reality is that not a single rupee has reached most farmers and victims." In the worst-affected districts -- Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, and Amritsar -- people are still waiting for government assistance, he claimed.

Had the government acted sincerely, people would not be forced to protest on the streets today, the BJP leader said.

"Punjab's farmers have always stood by the state in difficult times. Now, when they are in crisis, it is the government's duty to deliver justice to them. But the Mann government has repeatedly betrayed the people's trust, and it will have to face the consequences," he said.

Sharma stressed that farmers devastated by the floods urgently need financial aid to buy seeds and fertilisers, repair houses, and remove sand deposited by flood waters.

Many houses remain dilapidated, while the Mann government is focused only on "showmanship", he said.

The BJP demanded that the Punjab government immediately complete the crop loss assessment in all flood-affected areas and deposit compensation directly into the accounts of farmers and affected families without delay.

If the government continues to evade responsibility, the BJP, along with the public, will launch a state-wide agitation, Sharma warned. PTI CHS NSD NSD