Punjab Floods: Leaders Urge PM Modi for Rs 20,000 Crore Relief Package Amid Massive Destruction
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi gears up for his visit to flood-hit Punjab on Tuesday, AAP President and Cabinet Minister Aman Arora has made a strong call for immediate help. Speaking to the media in Chandigarh on Monday, Arora demanded a whopping Rs 20,000 crore relief package to support the state reeling from devastating floods. He said the Punjab government and its people will welcome the Prime Minister with open arms and folded hands, but they hope he announces quick aid to get things back on track.
Arora didn’t hold back on the state’s frustrations. He highlighted the pending Rs 60,000 crore dues owed to Punjab and questioned why the central government can send relief to places like Taliban-controlled Afghanistan but not to flood-ravaged Punjab. The floods have wiped out crops on over 4.3 lakh acres, and hundreds of homes have either collapsed or suffered severe damage. "We need this support right now," he stressed, painting a picture of the widespread crop destruction in Punjab and the urgent need for flood relief in Punjab.
This demand echoes what Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal said a day earlier. Badal also pushed for a Rs 20,000 crore package focused on flood relief and rehabilitation in Punjab. He went further, calling for a full farm loan waiver for farmers and agricultural laborers (khet mazdoor) to help them bounce back. "Punjab’s brave farmers drove the Green Revolution and turned the state into India’s food basket. The nation must stand by them in this crisis," Badal told reporters. He explained that the package would cover lost crops, damaged houses, and repairs to roads and power lines destroyed by the floods.
PM Modi’s visit comes at a critical time, as he heads to Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to check the damage from this year’s fierce monsoon. The floods have caused havoc in both northern states, with Himachal Pradesh alone reporting over 350 deaths. Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar welcomed the move, saying the Prime Minister is "deeply concerned" about the flood situation in Punjab and is keeping a close eye on it. Jakhar added that Modi will land in Amritsar after voting in Delhi’s vice-presidential election and hold a review meeting with state officials to assess ground realities and ensure maximum assistance for Punjab flood victims.
In Himachal Pradesh, Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jairam Thakur plans to join Modi in Dharamsala on September 9. Thakur said he’ll update the PM on the losses they’ve seen firsthand in affected areas. Meanwhile, Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan already visited Punjab to evaluate the damage. Two central teams have toured the state, and their reports are heading to the government soon. Jakhar shared on X (formerly Twitter) that the Government of India stands solidly with Punjab’s people during this flood crisis.
The Punjab government has pegged the total loss from the floods at Rs 13,289 crore. Revenue Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian revealed that 1,996 villages in 22 districts have been hit, impacting 387,013 people. Rescue teams have saved 22,854 lives so far, with the most evacuations in Gurdaspur (5,581 people), followed by Fazilka (4,202), Ferozepur (3,888), Amritsar (3,260), Hoshiarpur (1,616), Pathankot (1,139), and Kapurthala (1,428). As the state awaits Modi’s visit, all eyes are on whether the much-needed flood relief package for Punjab will finally materialize to aid recovery from this monsoon disaster.
