Centre’s anti-Punjab face exposed: Aman Arora

Cabinet Minister Aman Arora on Wednesday slammed the BJP-led Centre for its anti-Punjab attitude and deceitful handling of the state’s demand for a special flood relief package.

Arora said the Centre’s misleading figures (after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah) were nothing short of a betrayal of Punjabis.

“Once again, the Centre’s anti-Punjab and anti-Punjabi face has been exposed,” Arora said.

He said CM Mann had placed three major demands before Shah — a special package of Rs 13,800 crore for flood relief and rehabilitation, relaxation in the SDRF/NDRF rules and special consideration and relaxation for crop damages due to heavy rain.

“During the meeting, Shah assured Punjab that the Centre would extend help as and when required. But just a few hours later, the Home Ministry’s press release stated that Punjab already had Rs 12,590 crore available under the SDRF,” said Arora.

“Even if the Punjab Government was to fully utilise these funds according to the Centre’s rigid norms, not even Rs 1,200 crore can be released. Punjab has suffered damages worth thousands of crores. How can the Centre claim that a mere fraction of the SDRF will suffice?” he asked.

Slamming the propaganda around Rs 1,600 crore package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Arora said, “Of this, Rs 805 crore is not new money at all. A total of Rs 170 crore was already sanctioned by the NHAI long ago and other amounts are from existing schemes like the PM Awas Yojana. Even the SDRF advance installment of Rs 260 crore, which would have come irrespective of floods, has been wrongly shown as part of this package. This is nothing but backstabbing Punjab at a time of tragedy.”