Chandigarh: The political tussle over Punjab’s flood relief has intensified, with the BJP sharpening its attack on the AAP-led state government. On Friday, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar urged Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and seek a revision of the state’s relief fund allocation.
Jakhar’s Appeal
Jakhar stressed that before seeking time with the Prime Minister, the CM must first reconcile the ₹12,000 crore State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) figure with Chief Secretary K.A.P. Sinha.
Bittu’s Strong Attack
Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu launched a scathing attack on the Punjab government, alleging that the AAP regime had wasted ₹12,000 crore on helicopter rides and personal luxuries instead of prioritising public welfare.
He further pointed out that while the CM had demanded ₹1,858 crore from the Centre during his presentation, other allocations such as ₹4 crore for the Forest Department were also added into the overall demand.
DCs’ Accounts Empty
Bittu claimed that the current government had emptied the accounts of all Deputy Commissioners. He also questioned why senior ministers Harpal Cheema and Aman Arora were absent during the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Punjab.
Could Have Joined Virtually
“The Chief Minister could have at least joined the Prime Minister virtually if not in person,” Bittu said, alleging further that the Punjab government did not allow the Army and BSF to make their planned presentations during PM Modi’s visit.
Comparison with Former CM Channi
Bittu compared the current government’s handling of the situation to that of former CM Charanjit Singh Channi, accusing Bhagwant Mann of repeating the same mistakes of the past.
👉 With these fresh allegations, the flood relief issue in Punjab has turned into a full-blown political confrontation between the state government and the BJP.
