Punjab: Arora asks MLAs to collectively demand revision in SDRF norms, relief package

Chandigarh, Sep 29 (PTI) Punjab minister Aman Arora asked all the 117 MLAs in the state on Monday to put aside their political differences and come together to demand a revision of the disaster-relief norms and a comprehensive relief package from the Centre for the state's flood-hit people.

Congress leader Pargat Singh endorsed the suggestion and said all the MLAs should fight a political battle in Delhi in the interest of Punjab.

Participating in a discussion on the rehabilitation of the flood-hit people on the concluding day of the Assembly session, Arora said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has written to Prime Minister Narendra for revising the norms for the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

However, Modi is yet give any time for a meeting, he said.

"When the session ends today, the voice of three crore people through 117 MLAs should reach (Delhi) that the norms be revised and the relief package that we have demanded given. We should fight against them (Centre)," Arora said.

The state unit chief of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) slammed the previous Punjab governments of the Congress and SAD-BJP for the plight of the state.

He said the Congress government's 2017 decision to declare a 260-km stretch of the Beas river a "Ramsar Site" is a prime example of "hollow political wisdom".

He said it was a "blind, politically-motivated" decision taken without any application of mind, which made the de-silting of the river literally impossible, resulting in the flooding in four to five districts.

Arora said siltation in the Bhakra dam has reduced the storage capacity of the Gobind Sagar reservoir by a staggering 25 per cent.

This negligence, accumulated over generations of rule by the Congress and Akali-BJP alliances, has devastated downstream areas in Punjab, he alleged.

Citing a 2023 survey report, Arora highlighted that the Harike lake, a vital wetland, has lost 56 per cent of its water-retaining capacity and alleged that the Rajasthan government, which is a major beneficiary of the water from the Harike barrage, has refused to share the cost of de-silting, despite several letters written to it.

Raising the issue of river-water management and the riparian principle, he said, "The Centre controls the water storage in dams and compels the state to release water to non-riparian neighbouring states. This is the most one-sided and unjust law I have ever seen. The absurdity of the situation -- a riparian state faces submergence due to floods caused by the water release." Arora highlighted that despite the Northern Canal and Drainage Act of 1878, which empowers the government to notify rivers, "choes" (seasonal streams) and other water bodies to prevent encroachment, not a single river, drain or "choe" was notified in Punjab in more than 170 years.

On the SDRF issue, Arora claimed that the Centre has provided Rs 6,190 crore to Punjab over 25 years.

Of the total allocation, an amount of Rs 4,608 crore was given during the previous Congress and Akali-BJP governments, while Rs 1,582 crore came during the current AAP regime, he said.

The Punjab government contributed Rs 2,042 crore and a total amount of Rs 4,305 crore has been spent. However, calculating the notional interest of Rs 7,623 crore paid by the state government, the Centre arrived at a figure of Rs 12,600 crore, he said.

Flagging the similar situation during the Congress regime, Arora said when the grand old party's government took over in 2017, a Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India report of March 31, 2017 showed Rs 4,740.42 crore in the SDRF account, yet the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) declared the Punjab government "bankrupt" just two days before that due to the non-payment of Rs 760 crore and a 14-day overdraft.

Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal criticised the opposition for indulging in politics during floods and "misleading" the House.

Goyal said opposition leaders are resorting to "baseless allegations merely to score political points".

Referring to Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa's claim that seven lakh cusecs of water was released from the Ranjit Sagar dam, he said the actual figure was only around 2.15 lakh cusecs.

He accused Bajwa of trying to mislead the House with "false claims" and said he must apologise as well as resign as an MLA.

Goyal alleged that the Congress never cared for the interests of Punjab's people and always remained busy "playing political games".

He pointed out that Bajwa visited the Madhopur barrage almost a month after its breach, yet did not speak a single word about the department employee who sacrificed his life while opening the gate or the 26 officials who were trapped at the site and had to be airlifted.

Health Minister Balbir Singh said this is not the time for politics.

"This is the time to stand with Chief Minister Mann and raise a collective voice to get our right from the Centre to save Punjab and Punjabis," he said. PTI CHS RC