Union Minister Defends PM Modi’s Flood Relief Package for Punjab
In the flood-ravaged areas of Punjab, Union Minister SP Singh Baghel stepped up to support Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Rs 1,600 crore relief package. Speaking during his visit to Moga district on Monday, Baghel highlighted how the central government has also pushed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab to release a whopping Rs 12,000 crore for the flood-hit regions. This brings the total flood relief aid for Punjab to Rs 13,600 crore, covering everything from rehabilitation and medical help to food, animal care, and health support.
Baghel shared that PM Modi personally visited the flood-affected spots, talked to locals, and sized up the damage. "In this tough time for Punjab, the Prime Minister went to several places himself, checked the compensation needs, spotted the problems, chatted with people, and ordered the AAP government to roll out the Rs 12,000 crore package," Baghel told . He called the Rs 1,600 crore a starting point to kick off immediate relief efforts.
Adding to the support, chief ministers from BJP-ruled states like Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Odisha, Haryana, Delhi, and Goa each donated Rs 5 crore to the Punjab flood relief fund. They also sent truckloads of essential supplies. BJP workers have formed teams to go door-to-door, handing out daily necessities to those hit hardest by the floods.
Baghel didn’t hold back on criticizing past Punjab governments either. He pointed out that if they had rolled out the central government’s crop insurance scheme, farmers near riverbanks could have claimed insurance for their ruined crops. "Farmers along the riverbanks would have gotten crop insurance benefits if previous governments had implemented the Centre’s scheme," he said during his Moga visit.
This comes after PM Modi did an aerial survey of Punjab’s flood zones and announced the Rs 1,600 crore package on top of the Rs 12,000 crore directive. But the move has sparked a big political debate in Punjab. AAP leaders, including Manish Sisodia, slammed the aid as too little, especially when big industrialists like Adani and Ambani get massive debt waivers.
In a sharp post on X, Sisodia wrote: "Punjab’s land has always fed the nation, guarded its borders, and stood by India in crises. Now, it’s drowning in floods—farmers ruined, homes underwater, workers jobless. But the Modi government offers just Rs 1,600 crore as a pat on the back. Meanwhile, it waives Rs 10 lakh crore in debts for friends like Adani and Ambani. Modi ji, does Punjab’s pain mean nothing? This is an insult to our hardworking farmers."
As floods continue to disrupt lives in Punjab, the relief efforts and political back-and-forth keep the spotlight on how the state bounces back.
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