BUDGET 2024-25: Punjab gets nothing to tackle floods

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Chandigarh, July 23

Clearly repaying its election ally JD(U) in Bihar with Rs 11,500-crore package in the Union Budget to deal with flood-related disasters, the BJP government at the Centre today ignored its opposition Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab that faced one of the worst crises during the monsoon last year.

Heavy rains caused widespread flooding and landslides in the state last year. Fields were inundated and widespread damage was caused to infrastructure, including roads, bridges and power lines. The state witnessed human as well as material losses due to flood waters that ravaged 21 districts out of 23 in the state. The most affected districts were Jalandhar, Ropar, Patiala, Fazilka, Ferozepur and Gurdaspur. The state government pegged the total sectoral losses and estimated restoration expenditure at

Rs 1,680.21 crore.

Giving details, a senior official said, “The Revenue Department loss and restoration estimates show that our main losses related to agriculture (Rs 605.38 crore), roads (Rs 315.56 crore), water resources (Rs 191.97 crore), roads and bridges by PWD (Rs 178 crore) and schools (Rs 33.28 crore). The Centre has not so far released the demanded amount for disaster management needs. We have reserves in our disaster management fund for addressing the current situation, but we need special allocation for the prevention of floods in future.”

The government chose to provide multilateral development assistance to Uttarakhand, Assam, Sikkim and even Himachal Pradesh that has a Congress government, however, Punjab finds no mention in the Budget document. These states will get special assistance for reconstruction and rehabilitation programmes. A special coverage by The Tribune last week showed pools of stagnant waters created due to flooding last year. People are living in uninhabitable houses in Dhakka Basti village of Jalandhar district.

Farmers in the Mand area are still struggling to remove silt from their fields while the monsoon clouds are back. Seeking a permanent solution, Fazilka farmers fear that in case water is released from dams, the area will be flooded this year too. Residents of Patiala living along the Badi Nadi, which witnessed 10 deaths last year, have nothing to cheer either.

Revenue Minister Brahm Shankar Jimpa said, “The chieftain of tribes do not discriminate with anyone. This is not the case with our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Keeping our political differences in the foreground, the government has overlooked the genuine losses suffered by the masses. We did not get the required money from the government either last year or this year.”

Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi said, “Punjab has been treated like an enemy state by the BJP in the Union Budget by ignoring the losses that the state suffered during the monsoon last year. When Bihar has been allocated big money for the prevention of flood-like situation in future, why not Punjab? Our state also suffered losses due to flooding, but no provision has been made for it, despite the fact that Punjab happens to be a border state.”

Step-motherly treatment: Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the Centre meted out step-motherly treatment to Punjabis. Instead of doubling the farm income, it has rather raised input costs of farmers.

Farmers are demanding a legal guarantee of MSP on 23 crops. Despite a promise by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Finance Minister did not utter a single word on it. Partap Singh Bajwa, Leader of Opposition

Punjab will receive its fair share of benefits under all central schemes announced in the Budget, which will have positive impact on both industrial and agricultural sectors. Ravneet Bittu, MoS for Railways & Food Processing

No allocation has been made for crop diversification or debt waiver to farmers who are in acute distress. A legal guarantee on MSP is needed to safeguard their interests. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Shiromani Akali Dal chief

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman didn’t speak a word on Section 43B (45-day payment rule), which she had promised to roll back while campaigning in Ludhiana. Badish Jindal, Federation of Punjab Small Industries