Punjab pegs flood losses at Rs 13K cr; three more deaths take toll to 46

The Punjab Government has estimated a loss of Rs 13,289 crore due to the floods that have ravaged the state over the past three weeks. The figure was presented by the state government to the members of two central inter-ministerial teams that have been touring Punjab since September 4 to assess the damage.

A meeting was held here this afternoon between a state delegation, represented by Chief Secretary KAP Sinha, and the central teams, which were led by Rajesh Gupta (Ministry of Home Affairs) and Santosh Kumar Tiwari (Ministry of Rural Development).

Punjab has been demanding a special relief package from the Centre to compensate people for the losses to property and farming. The state also wants funds for the repair of damaged infrastructure, including roads, bridges, culverts, flood protection system, power transmission the state had been submerged, the official said. Gurdaspur and Amritsar districts have reportedly suffered the maximum damage to crops.

No illegal mining: Goyal rebuts Shivraj

Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Goyal has rejected as ‘baseless’ the allegations by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan about illegal mining causing floods. He cited heavy rain as the cause.

Officials in the state government told The Tribune that the exact extent of damage would be known only after the floodwaters receded. “Though the central teams themselves have assessed the ground situation, they are expected to return to the state for a fresh survey of the losses once the floodwater recedes,” said a top officer in the government.

Meanwhile, the clamour for financial aid from the Centre has been growing. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said the least the Centre could immediately do was release the pending dues of Rs 60,000 crore, including Rs 49,727 crore GST compensation and Rs 8,000 crore RDF and MDF grants. “It seems the BJP hates Punjab and its people. We are the “sword arm” of the country and have been at the forefront of all invasions and wars. Not helping the state in its worst crisis will alienate Punjab and Punjabis,” he said.

Mann’s health stable, to be discharged soon

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann’s health is learnt to be stable and he is expected to be discharged from the hospital in two days.

Malwinder Singh Kang, AAP MP from Anandpur Sahib, in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reminded him that last year, special assistance was provided to Andhra Pradesh and Bihar through special budgetary allocations. “I hope the BJP-led Centre shows the same benevolence towards Punjab… no such relief has so far reached the state… this disparity pierces through the heart,” he said.

Meanwhile, Punjab Water Resources Minister Barinder Goyal has rejected as “baseless” the allegations by Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan about illegal mining in riverbeds causing floods. “The floods were caused by the unprecedented rain, which led to a record inflow in rivers, particularly the Ravi. No mining is allowed in the Ravi because of its proximity to the International Border. Mining is allowed only in the Sutlej riverbed, but clearance for that too is given by a central statutory body. The breaches in dhussi bundhs were on account of water overflowing the river banks,” he said.