Chandigarh, September 8: With Prime Minister Narendra Modi set to visit flood-hit Punjab on September 9, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has urged the Centre to announce a ₹20,000 crore relief package to help the state recover from one of its worst flood disasters in decades.
Punjab cabinet minister Aman Arora said the state has suffered extensive crop damage and heavy economic losses since torrential rains triggered flooding across all 23 districts last month. Nearly 148,000 hectares of farmland have been submerged, impacting thousands of farming families in what is often called the country’s “food basket.”
“Even though the PM has not uttered a word yet for the flood-hit Punjab, he is our PM, and I welcome him with folded hands for his visit. I also expect that he should be seen standing by Punjab during his visit,” Arora told reporters.
The state government has already declared all districts flood-hit and said the damage to agriculture, infrastructure, and rural livelihoods will require massive financial support for recovery.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has repeatedly called this the worst flooding since 1988, with rivers like the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi swelling beyond danger levels and displacing thousands of families.
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