Rahul writes to PM Modi, seeks Rs 20,000 crore relief aid for flood-hit Punjab

Calling the Centre’s Rs 1,600 crore relief package for Punjab’s flood-hit areas a “grave injustice”, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding urgent financial support of at least Rs 20,000 crore.

The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha described the destruction he witnessed during his recent visit as “shocking”, citing the loss of over four lakh acres of paddy crop, the death of more than 10 lakh animals, and the displacement of lakhs of families, mostly from marginalised communities.

He said the scale of devastation had left villages cut off and farmland rendered uncultivable, adding that the tragedy required a far bolder response from the Union Government.

“The flood has also rendered vast tracts of land uncultivable in the near future. Even today, thousands of acres are submerged and villages remain cut off,” Gandhi wrote.

At the same time, he highlighted the resilience of Punjab’s people, praising the way communities “opened their homes to strangers and shared whatever little they had”. Their generosity, he said, often came “at great personal risk” and reflected the best of humanity in the midst of tragedy.

Criticising the Centre’s initial allocation, Gandhi argued that the losses were far greater. “The Rs 1,600 crore initial relief announced by the Union Government does grave injustice to the people of Punjab.

Estimates suggest that the state has suffered a loss of at least Rs 20,000 crore. This crisis demands a bolder response. I request the government to facilitate a quick assessment of the damage and deliver a comprehensive relief package,” he said.

Concluding his appeal, Gandhi said that Punjab would “rise again”, but stressed that in this hour of need “we must reassure every farmer, every soldier, and every family in Punjab that India stands with them. We must come together and extend all possible support to help rebuild their future.”