Chandigarh, Sep 5 BJP national General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Friday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already given Rs 11,000 crore to Punjab for disaster management, and now it is the responsibility of the Bhagwant Mann government to get girdawari done for an estimated assistance.
Chugh claimed the Modi government firmly stands by Punjab in this hour of crisis. He said Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan has taken a firsthand review of the situation, saying the Modi government stands shoulder to shoulder with every farmer.
Chugh said two Central teams have also arrived in Punjab on the Prime Minister’s instructions, with senior officials from agriculture, rural development, energy, finance, roads and Jal Shakti departments assessing the extent of the damage.
He expressed gratitude to PM Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for releasing Rs 11,000 crore for the NDRF, whose tireless efforts have rescued more than 15,000 people, including children, elderly, pregnant women and the differently-abled from raging waters.
However, Chugh sharply criticised the Aam Aadmi Party government for pushing Punjab into what he called a “man-made disaster.”
He recalled that IMD had predicted above-normal rains as early as April 15, while BBMB’s technical committee on April 23 recommended reducing reservoir levels to create buffer space.
Instead of acting, the Mann government deployed police at the Bhakra gates, stalled water release and dragged the issue into a political spectacle.
Chugh said the result is before the people -- delayed, sudden releases of 65,000 cusecs from Bhakra and 80,000 from Pong that devastated villages downstream.
He said when Vajpayee was Prime Minister and Parkash Singh Badal was Chief Minister, embankments along the Sutlej, Beas, Ravi and the Ghaggar were strengthened to protect crops.
Illegal mining and negligence have since weakened them, allowing floodwaters to enter villages.
Chugh asked why flood-preparedness meetings were held barely 17 days before the monsoon, when months of planning were required.
He accused CM Mann and his entire Cabinet of campaigning in Delhi for Arvind Kejriwal instead of preparing Punjab.
“Even after losing Delhi, they did not learn. They continued feasting and hosting Kejriwal and Sisodia at Punjab taxpayers’ expense while Punjab drowned,” Chugh said.
He said Punjab’s suffering today is not a natural calamity but the direct result of AAP’s negligence and “reckless
politics.
--IANS
vg/dan
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