Punjab’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) fired back at Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Thursday after he accused the state government of treating the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) like its personal piggy bank. The governor insisted no tweaks to the SDRF rules are possible, sparking sharp criticism from AAP leaders amid Punjab’s ongoing flood crisis.
AAP’s Baltej Pannu and spokesperson Neel Garg slammed the governor’s comments and the BJP-led central government’s position as pointless meddling. “The SDRF exists exactly for states to tap into during disasters or emergencies,” they said in a statement. They argued the fund is basically the State Disaster Relief Fund, meant to help people when nature strikes hard.
The leaders accused the Centre of ducking behind outdated rules while Punjab battles its worst calamity in years. “This just shows they don’t want to support Punjab right now,” Pannu said. He took a direct shot at the governor, asking: “The Prime Minister finds time to meet governors repeatedly, but skips an elected Chief Minister like Bhagwant Mann—where does this ‘elected vs. selected’ rule even apply?”
Garg called the whole stance “totally anti-people.” He pointed out that SDRF guidelines date back to 2010, when inflation was much lower—it’s tripled since then. “Handing out just Rs 6,800 per acre in compensation doesn’t cut it today, especially when diesel cost only Rs 38 per litre back then,” Garg added.
It’s been over a month and a half since Chief Minister Mann wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting changes, but there’s been zero response. Garg said statements from the Home Ministry and the governor make it clear the Centre has no plans to update SDRF rules for Punjab’s flood relief needs.
AAP urged the central government to drop its rigid approach and act like a true people-first administration. “If we really care about helping folks, amend the rules to match today’s realities—and do it fast,” Garg stressed. The party called on the Centre to prioritize Punjab’s disaster-hit communities without further delay.
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