• By Soumyaroop Mukherjee
  • Fri, 19 Sep 2025 08:17 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND
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Punjab Floods: Punjab this year witnessed massive flooding with 23 districts completely submerged under water owing to weeks of heavy Monsoon rainfall, which led to the overflowing of almost all rivers in the state. The flood situation this year was dubbed as the worst the state has witnessed in the last four decades since 1988. Gurdaspur, Fazilka, Amritsar and Pathankot were some of the worst-affected districts.

Owing to the devastation, the Centre, earlier this month, had announced financial assistance of Rs 1,600 crore to Punjab. However, the Centre’s aid does not seem to satisfy Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwat Mann, who termed the Centre’s aid a “token” approach towards Punjab’s “massive” catastrophe. 

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"What will happen with Rs 1,600 crore? What will we do with Rs 1,600 crore? Are they joking? The initial loss is Rs 13,800 crore. Rs 1,600 crore is just a drop in the ocean," Mann said, as quoted by NDTV.

He has also reacted strongly to the Centre’s claims that Punjab has Rs 12,000 crore in the SDRF account, which is meant to be used by the state during such disasters. He said that it was a botched-up calculation done by the Centre, and only Rs 5,012 crore was with the state, out of which Rs 3,820 crore has already been spent.

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Bhagwant Mann further alleged that the Centre has also stopped Rs 8,000 crore, which was due to Punjab under the State Rural Development Fund. "This (the RDF payout) was stopped without reason, which is usually what happens to non-BJP governments, i.e., they (the BJP) stop paying opposition governments," Mann added.

The Rural Development Fund or RDF is used by the Punjab government to maintain roads, mandis and farmer wholesale markets. This is usually a three per cent cess levied on the sale or purchase of agricultural produce. However, in the recent GST council meeting, all kinds of cess were removed by the Central Government.

"The SDRF account was set up in 2010/11, when the state got Rs 84 crore. But Rs 184 crore was spent that year. Rs 171 crore was received in 2011/12 and Rs 159 crore was spent. Similarly, in 2012/13, the centre sent Rs 272 crore and Rs 10 crore was spent. In 2013/14 Rs 194 crore was received and Rs 236 crore was spent," Mann said.

The chief minister further urged the Centre to pay out Rs 50,000 crore, which is the share of Punjab in the Goods and Services Tax revenue. "Just give us this... no need for any 'special package' from the centre. We will manage our flood relief operations from this amount."