Punjab Congress leader Partap Bajwa seeks Rs 51,000 per acre for crop loss due to floods

Sultanpur Lodhi, Aug 27 (PTI) Punjab Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday visited flood-affected areas in Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala district and accused the AAP government of having failed to protect the state from yet another devastating flood.

Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Bajwa, was accompanied by former MLA Navtej Singh Cheema, MLAs Vikramjit Singh Chaudhary, Avtar Junior Henry and Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal.

He met flood-affected villagers during his visit.

Speaking to the media, Bajwa said, "I saw the pain and destruction with my own eyes. Entire farmlands are underwater, homes are destroyed, and thousands have been displaced. Yet, the Bhagwant Mann government is busy issuing press releases instead of delivering real relief." He accused the government of making tall claims with no ground impact.

"They boasted about spending Rs 230 crore on flood prevention, desilting 4,766 km of waterways, constructing over a thousand check dams, planting bamboo saplings, and storing sandbags. But when the floods came, these measures collapsed like a house of cards. Villages are drowning, and farmers have been left helpless," Bajwa claimed in a statement.

Bajwa also targeted Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal, saying, "The minister claimed Rs 276 crore spent on 1,220 projects, sandbags and check dams. But as I travelled today, I saw no protection, no preparedness, and no relief for the victims. These were hollow boasts made to mislead the people." Bajwa said, "Hundreds of villages in the area have farmland submerged. Several villages in Pathankot and Gurdaspur have been cut off. In Kapurthala alone, 8,000 people are displaced, with thousands of acres of paddy destroyed. This is not just a natural disaster but a man-made failure due to the Mann government's negligence." "Bhagwant Mann once said his government would compensate even for goats and hens. Yet farmers who have lost entire crops and livestock have not received a single rupee. Special 'girdawaris' and full compensation remain just paper announcements," he said.

He lambasted the chief minister for being "absent" during the crisis. "Despite repeated warnings of heavy monsoon rains, the government stayed reactive instead of preparing in advance. Illegal mining continues along riverbanks, weakening embankments. And when Punjab needed leadership, the chief minister was missing in action," Bajwa alleged.

Bajwa demanded that the government immediately release Rs 51,000 per acre for farmers who suffered total crop loss and Rs 31,000 per acre for partial damage.

"At least 60 per cent compensation should be given right away without waiting for any approvals. Compensation for livestock and property damages must also be delivered without any delay. Enough of hollow announcements... Punjab's people need real support today," he said.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal also attacked Mann, accusing him of rubbing salt on the wounds of flood-affected farmers by going on a two-day "family vacation" to Chennai and announcing that he was leaving the state helicopter behind.

"Farmers want their bundhs to be strengthened, they want tractors, JCB machines and sandbags, but they are being offered a helicopter. Does the CM want to indulge in a propaganda exercise by throwing biscuits from the air to wish away his responsibility?" he asked.

Chief Minister Mann on Wednesday visited the flood-hit areas in Gurdaspur district to take stock of the situation and asked the district administration to use the state government's helicopter for delivering relief supplies to those affected.

"The SAD cadre and the SGPC have been doing 'langar sewa' for the last four days in all affected areas. We have also tried our best to provide all the material needed to strengthen embankments and drain away flood waters from agricultural fields," Badal said.

"It's time the chief minister also makes things happen on the ground and announces an immediate interim relief for the flood-hit hit instead of indulging in cheap publicity stunts", said the SAD president, who visited the flood-hit areas in Tarn Taran. PTI CHS RHL