The North News
Chandigarh, September 8
Punjab Cabinet Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state president Aman Arora on Monday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce a ₹20,000 crore relief package during his visit to the state’s flood-hit areas. Addressing reporters at Punjab Bhawan, Arora welcomed Prime Minister Modi’s visit but urged him to treat Punjab’s crisis with seriousness. “On behalf of over three crore citizens of Punjab, I warmly welcome the Prime Minister. But I would humbly request him not to reduce the crisis to photo opportunities. Punjab needs a ₹20,000 crore package if it is truly considered an integral part of India,” he said.
Arora also pressed for the immediate release of ₹60,000 crore in stalled funds, including ₹50,000 crore in revenue losses from the Goods and Services Tax regime and ₹8,000 crore withheld from the Rural Development and Market Development Funds. He noted that Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had already written to the Centre on the issue. The minister called for an increase in flood compensation, citing that more than 4.5 lakh acres of farmland had been submerged, over three lakh livestock affected, and hundreds of homes damaged.
Accusing the central government of “step-motherly treatment” towards Punjab, Arora criticised the silence of state BJP leaders and urged them to push for a special package rather than “overexploiting photo ops”.
He stressed Punjab’s crucial role in ensuring India’s food security and said that the state’s battered economy required urgent support. The AAP-led state government, he added, would continue to stand by the people and push for the Centre’s assistance.
