At mock session, BJP demands CBI probe into ‘misuse’ of SDRF

Alleging a scam, the BJP on Monday sought a probe into the utilisation of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

BJP leaders made the demand during a “people’s assembly” organised by the party against the state government over flood relief.

The SDRF issue had come to limelight when Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned during his visit to flood-hit Punjab areas that the state government had Rs 12,000 crore available under the fund. He had made the remark while announcing a Rs 1,600 crore central aid for the state.

The state’s AAP government has so far rejected the claim, deepening the mystery surrounding the SDRFmoney. The BJP leaders alleged that the amount meant for flood relief was “misused” by government officials. The party “passed several resolutions” criticising the state’s AAP government for its “poor flood management”. It called for a probe led by a High Court judge to find the ministers and officers responsible for the tragedy. They also urged the government to offer jobs to families who lost relatives in the floods.

State BJP working president Ashwani Sharma said the AAP government was “more responsible for the destruction” than nature.

He accused Punjab’s ministers and officers of causing the floods in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, and Amritsar districts and claimed the BJP has all the evidence.