Chandigarh, September 26:
Punjab Water Resources Minister Sh. Barinder Kumar Goyal on Friday presented a resolution in the special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha demanding a special package of Rs.20,000 crore for flood-affected families, farmers and infrastructure restoration across the State.
In a detailed address pertaining to “Rehabilitation of Punjab” resolution in the House, the Cabinet Minister severely criticised the unsympathetic stance of the Union Government and termed the token relief package announced by Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi as nothing more than routine expenditure rather than genuine support.
The Cabinet Minister recalled how Punjab has always stood tall in service of the nation, feeding the country as the food bowl of India, safeguarding its borders during wars and making unmatched sacrifices during national crises. He said it was deeply unfortunate that the GoI completely ignored Punjab when it faced one of the gravest natural calamities in its history.
Sh. Goyal said that the floods this year surpassed even the devastation of 1988, with more than 2300 villages ravaged, nearly 20 lakh people were directly affected, crops on more than 5 lakh acres destroyed and 7 lakh people displaced from their homes. He added that over 3200 schools, 19 colleges, 1,400 hospitals/clinics, besides nearly 8,500 kms of roads and 2,500 bridges were either damaged or washed away. He noted that joint surveys conducted by State departments estimated initial losses at around Rs.13,900 crore, yet the Centre ignored this reality and announced just Rs.1,600 crore, which was actually a routine release and not an extraordinary grant. He said that Punjab has not yet received anything from this amount.
The Water Resources Minister said that while Punjab had sought Rs.20,000 crore in relief, the announcement by the Prime Minister was nowhere close to meet the urgent requirements of the State. He described it as a grossly inadequate measure that failed to recognise the gravity of the disaster. Sh. Goyal added that the people of Punjab expected compassionate action, not symbolic gestures.
The Cabinet Minister underlined that this year’s inflow peaked at 14.11 lakh cusecs against 11 lakh cusecs in 1988, nearly 20 percent higher, with almost 10 lakh cusecs entering Punjab through drains, streams and rivulets alone. This, coupled with faulty forecasts of IMD, worsened the calamity. On August 24, IMD predicted 21 mm of rainfall but actual recorded was 163 mm. On August 25, 18 mm was predicted against 147 mm (717% higher) and on August 26, 13 mm forecast turned into 90.5 mm (596% higher). Such gross inaccuracies, he said, exposed complete negligence of the central agency.
Shri. Goyal also held Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) responsible for compounding the disaster as decisions on water release were delayed due to rigid protocols of convening inter-state meetings. Punjab had requested water release when Bhakra touched 1660 feet, but the Board refused until levels reached 1665 feet, thereby risking lives and property.
On the issue of de-silting, the Cabinet Minister said that Beas river being declared a Ramsar site without consulting water department has prevented even basic de-silting or mining since 2017, leading to heavy siltation.
The Cabinet Minister stressed that Punjab Government under the leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann acted swiftly and responsibly. River embankments were strengthened well in advance, breaches plugged in time and flood protection works executed on war footing. Dhussi bandhs and embankments on Ravi, Beas and Sutlej stood firm, while extensive channelisation on Ghaggar river prevented breaches for the first time in five decades, saving Rs. 400 crore in potential damages from Ghaggar alone. At Khanauri, water remained at 750.7 feet for nine consecutive days, yet no breach occurred.
The Water Resources Minister expressed gratitude to all who stood by Punjab in the crisis including leaders of different political parties, AAP National Convenor Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Cabinet Ministers, MLAs, party workers, besides NGOs, social organisations and saints who reached out to affected people.
He said it was shocking that when Punjab battled floods from August 25–26, Union leaders chose to add salt to wounds instead of applying ointment. Some even labelled the disaster as man-made. The Prime Minister, he said, visited only on September 9 after silence of nearly two weeks. Punjab’s assessment of Rs.13,900 crore loss and demand for Rs.20,000 crore was brushed aside, while within days of visiting Punjab, the PM sanctioned around Rs.7,000 crore to a smaller state as a Gift. He added that despite Punjab’s unprecedented sacrifices in agriculture, wars and militancy, the State was denied its rightful share.
Sh. Goyal urged that the Centre must rise above politics and extend genuine empathy towards Punjab. He said Punjab’s demand for Rs.20,000 crore was not only justified but essential for rebuilding lives, farms, roads, schools and health institutions. Anything less, he said, would amount to betrayal of Punjab’s contributions to the nation.
On the resolution “Rehabilitation of Punjab” in the House, Cabinet Minister S. Laljit Singh Bhullar, MLA Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Amansher Singh Sherry Kalsi, Inderjit Kaur Mann, Dr. Amandeep Kaur Arora, Narinderpal Singh Sawna, Jagdeep Kamboj Goldy, Davinderjit Singh Ladi Dhos and Dr. Charanjit Singh also shared their views.
