Punjab's Rs 20,000 Crore Plea: Vidhan Sabha Unites for Flood Relief

In a significant development, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha unanimously passed the 'Rehabilitation of Punjab' resolution on the last day of its special session. The resolution calls for a Rs 20,000 crore financial package from the Central Government to bolster flood relief efforts and infrastructure restoration across the state.

Introduced by Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal, the resolution was the subject of extensive debates over two days. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, along with other Cabinet ministers and MLAs, actively engaged in discussions. On the following Monday, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora commenced the debate, which saw fervent support from Chief Minister Mann and contributions from Minister Goyal and MLAs Gurdeep Singh Randhawa and Gurpreet Singh Banamali.

The resolution strongly criticized the perceived 'step-motherly treatment' by the Union Government, denouncing the Prime Minister's previous relief announcement as 'grossly inadequate.' It highlighted that the initial losses due to severe flooding were estimated at Rs 13,900 crore and attributed responsibility to central agencies like the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) for exacerbating the crisis.

The Punjab Government plans to formally present the resolution to the Centre, seeking immediate action to facilitate rehabilitation and recovery. In response to earlier floods, PM Modi visited Punjab on September 9, conducted aerial surveys, and announced an additional Rs 1,600 crore in aid on top of the existing Rs 12,000 crore fund.

(With inputs from agencies.)