Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday announced a special relief package of ₹3,100 crore for disaster-hit Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.
Modi announced the immediate relief during his day-long visit to the two northern states to review the flood situation and assess the damage caused by heavy rain, floods, and landslides. Of the total package, ₹1,600 crore has been earmarked for Punjab, while ₹1,500 crore has been allocated for Himachal Pradesh. He also announced ₹2 lakh ex gratia for the next of kin of those who lost their lives and ₹50,000 for the injured.
The Prime Minister said the ₹1,600-crore financial assistance for Punjab is in addition to the ₹12,000 crore already in the state’s kitty. He announced the advance release of the second instalment of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, while stressing the need for a multi-dimensional approach. This, he said, would include rebuilding homes under the PM Awas Yojana, restoring national highways, reconstructing schools, and distributing mini kits for livestock to help the entire region and its people get back on their feet.
Ahead of Modi’s visit, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the opposition parties in Punjab had raised expectations by pressing for a ₹20,000-crore relief package for the state, citing the enormity of the losses. They wasted no time in expressing disappointment with the PM’s announcement, terming it a “drop in the ocean.” AAP state president Aman Arora described the package as “grossly insufficient” and nothing more than a “superficial gesture,” while Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring called it “miserably meagre”.
Punjab is facing its work floods in four decades, triggered by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and heavy rainfall that has affected 3.88 lakh people in 2,097 villages. The death toll due to the devastating floods stands at 52, while crops on 1.91 lakh hectares have been damaged so far. The relief package was announced by Modi after he conducted aerial surveys of affected areas and held meetings with political functionaries, top officials and flood victims in the two states.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab is facing its work floods in four decades, triggered by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and heavy rainfall that has affected 3.88 lakh people in 2,097 villages. The death toll due to the devastating floods stands at 52, while crops on 1.91 lakh hectares have been damaged so far. The relief package was announced by Modi after he conducted aerial surveys of affected areas and held meetings with political functionaries, top officials and flood victims in the two states.
{{/usCountry}}He first went to Kangra in Himachal, where chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, BJP leaders, affected families and people involved in rescue services attended the meeting. Modi said that the Centre will work closely with the Himachal government during this difficult time and extend all possible assistance for the restoration and rebuilding of infrastructure in the affected areas. He also met families who had suffered due to the calamity. After the meeting, Sukhu said on X, “Our initial estimate of the damage from the disaster so far is approximately ₹5,000 crore, which could increase to ₹10,000-12000 crore. As immediate relief, the Prime Minister has announced assistance of ₹1,500 crore. Now, it remains to be seen whether these ₹1,500 crore will come under special relief package or remain scheme-based.”
In Punjab, Modi held a meeting with the top state officials at Tibri Military Station in Gurdaspur in the presence of governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Union minister of state Ravneet Singh Bittu, and the state’s cabinet minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian and Hardeep Mundian. Chief minister Bhagwant Mann was not present as he is undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Mohali for exhaustion and low heart rate. The PM reviewed the relief and rehabilitation measures undertaken as well as assessed the damage that has occurred in the state. The Prime Minister also met flood-affected farmers in the presence of party leaders, including BJP state president Sunil Jakhar, national general secretary Tarun Chugh and former MPs Vijay Sampla and Shwait Malik.