The North News
Chandigarh, September 29
Punjab’s Water Resources Minister Barinder Kumar Goyal has accused opposition leaders of politicising the recent flood crisis and misleading the state assembly with false claims. Speaking during a special session on the “Rehabilitation of Punjab” on Monday, Goyal rejected Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa’s allegation that seven lakh cusecs of water had been released from the Ranjit Sagar Dam. He said the actual figure was closer to 2.15 lakh cusecs and demanded that Bajwa apologise and resign. The minister said Congress governments of the past had “never cared for Punjab’s interests” and accused the party of spreading misinformation about flood management. He also criticised Bajwa for visiting the breached Madhopur Headworks weeks after the incident, while ignoring the sacrifice of a department worker who died while opening the gate and the 26 staff who were airlifted from the site.
Goyal highlighted what he called “unprecedented” efforts by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s government in cleaning drains across the state, claiming more work had been done in the past two years than in the last 70. He said canal irrigation had expanded from 21% of cultivable land before 2022 to 64% today, with a target of 76% by March 2026. He argued the initiative had eased the burden on groundwater and ensured better use of dam water, adding that previous governments’ negligence was to blame for Haryana’s repeated demands for excess supply. The minister also accused the BJP of undermining the dignity of the Punjab Assembly by organising a mock session, calling the move “an insult to democracy.”
