Rs 1,600 crore Central help for flood-hit Punjab 'drop in ocean': Cong; SAD too wants it hiked

Chandigarh, Sep 9 (PTI) The Congress' Punjab unit on Tuesday termed the Rs 1,600 crore assistance announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the flood-hit state "a drop in the ocean" and alleged the state has been discriminated against under the BJP's rule at the Centre.

Another opposition party, the Shiromani Akali Dal, also demanded that the amount be enhanced and the Centre consider a one-time loan waiver for farmers hit by the worst deluge in the state since 1988.

"I urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to enhance the financial assistance of Rs 1,600 crore announced for Punjab, besides considering a one-time loan waiver for farmers in flood-affected areas," SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said in a post on X.

State Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said the people of Punjab had great expectations from the prime minister, who conducted an aerial survey of the flood-ravaged areas, but he "badly disappointed" everyone.

"This is like a drop in the ocean; as we say in Hindi, 'Oont ke mooh mein jeera' (meaning miserably meagre)," he said.

"Punjab has suffered discrimination during the last 11 years of the BJP's rule at the Centre just because the state did not go along with the saffron party," Warring claimed.

Otherwise, nothing else explains such "discrimination" against Punjab and that too at a time when it is struggling to deal with one of the worst natural calamities, he said.

Modi on Tuesday announced a financial assistance of Rs 1,600 crore for flood-hit Punjab as he reviewed the flood situation and damage in the state. He announced the assistance for the border state in addition to the Rs 12,000 crore already in the state's kitty.

The PM also announced an ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh to the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 to those seriously injured in the floods and natural calamity.

In his X post, Badal also took a dig at the ruling AAP in Punjab.

"I also demand an explanation from the Aam Aadmi Party government after the shocking revelation during the PM's visit that, despite having Rs 12,000 crore with it under the Disaster Management Fund, it failed to release aid when it was most needed. The AAP government has compounded the woes of the Punjabis with this criminal negligence," he alleged.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, came down heavily on the Union government over the financial assistance of Rs 1,600 crore for Punjab, terming it a "cruel joke".

"The state has suffered losses to the tune of nearly Rs 20,000 crore. Against this backdrop, the Centre's announcement amounts to less than 8 per cent of the damage," he said.

Bajwa reminded the nation that Punjab has always stood tall in India's service. "With just 2 per cent of the country's population, it contributes between 15 to 19 per cent of India's wheat and 11 to 13 per cent of its rice, ensuring food security for millions." "Nearly 8 per cent of the soldiers safeguarding India's borders come from Punjab. It was Punjab that led the Green Revolution, ensuring India never faced hunger again, and it was Punjab's sons who shed blood -- from the struggle for India's Independence to the Kargil war," he said.

"Punjab has always placed the nation above itself by filling its granaries, by sending its soldiers to the frontlines, and by leading the nation's progress. Yet, when Punjab faces one of its worst disasters, the Centre responds with crumbs," Bajwa alleged.

He said, "This is not about numbers alone. It is about dignity and justice. Farmers who fed India now stand devastated, and families who sent soldiers to guard the nation have lost their homes." "Punjab deserves fairness, recognition, and genuine support, not symbolic aid," Bajwa added.

The Congress leader further demanded that the Union government immediately release the "pending" Rs 60,000 crore that rightfully belongs to Punjab under goods and services tax compensation, RDF, and other central schemes.

These "withheld" funds, if released without delay, would provide Punjab the financial strength to get back on its feet and rebuild lives, he added. PTI CHS NSD NSD