Kejriwal pledges maximum relief to Punjab flood victims

AAP national convenor and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said maximum relief will be provided to flood victims in the state, and no one will be left without aid. Terming the 2025 Punjab floods the state’s biggest in the past 37 years, Kejriwal emphasised the need for the Centre’s aid to provide relief to the flood-affected areas.

Arriving at the Baupur bundh in Sultanpur Lodhi to review the status of flood-hit areas, Kejriwal said the resilient spirit of Punjab had risen to the occasion, and overwhelming help was being extended by the community. He also made a boat trip to flood-affected villages, accompanied by MP Seechewal and Cabinet ministers.

Kejriwal said as many as 1,400 villages and 3 lakh people had been affected by floods in the state, and crops on 4.5 lakh hectares had been damaged. He also announced that gazetted officers would be appointed for each village in the state to ensure people receive immediate help.

Speaking to the press, Kejriwal said, “We just saw the Centre extend help to the victims of earthquakes in Afghanistan, which is a very good thing. Everyone in a crisis across the world must be helped. But Punjab is our own, and I hope the Centre will also extend help to Punjab.”

He added, “Maximum relief will be provided to flood victims. It’s for the first time since 1988 that such floods have happened in the state. It’s been 37 years since such a large amount of water came in. From state CM Bhagwant Mann to our ministers and MP Seechewal, everyone is dedicatedly involved in flood relief work. No one will be left out.”

Kejriwal praised the spirit of Punjab, saying, “Punjabis are extending the biggest help to each other during floods. The spirit of Punjab has risen during the floods. It is overwhelming to see how each Punjabi is standing up for their neighbour. Whenever there has been an attack on the country or India has suffered a food crisis, Punjab has risen to the occasion. The same is visible here today.”

Speaking about CM Mann, Kejriwal said, “CM Sahib has been visiting flood-affected areas daily and is currently unwell. Despite his illness, his thoughts are constantly with the people of Punjab in the flood-hit areas."

Kejriwal was accompanied by Cabinet ministers Aman Arora and Mohinder Bhagat, MP Balbir Singh Seechewal, DC Amit Kumar Panchal, and others.