Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that Punjab has suffered losses of nearly Rs 20,000 crore due to the floods and called the Rs 1,600-crore initial relief package announced by the Centre as an injustice to the people of the state.
Gandhi said millions of homes had been destroyed, crops over more than four lakh acres had been ruined, and a large number of animals had been swept away.
“Yet the people of Punjab have shown remarkable courage and spirit. I am fully confident that they will once again stand Punjab on its feet. They just need support and strength. I urge the Prime Minister once again to immediately announce a comprehensive relief package,” the leader of Opposition wrote on X.
Earlier on September 17, the Congress MP had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding a quick assessment of the damage and a comprehensive relief package.
“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,” Gandhi wrote in his letter to the Prime Minister.
The Congress leader, who had visited flood-hit Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts on September 15, had interacted with affected families, visited damaged houses, and sat among those displaced by the deluge, accompanied by Punjab Congress leaders.
Gandhi had said that over four lakh acres of paddy crop had been destroyed and over 10 lakh animals had perished.
Lakhs of people, mostly from marginalised communities, had lost their homes. He further added that vast tracts of land had been rendered uncultivable in the near future, with thousands of acres still submerged and several villages cut off.
“Despite the gravity of this crisis, I witnessed the very best of humanity. Communities rallied behind those who lost everything. People opened their homes to strangers and shared whatever little they had. Their generosity and commitment to help, often at great personal risk, was admirable,” Gandhi said.
The Congress leader stressed that Punjab would rise again. “In their 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,” he added.
According to the Punjab government, the floods resulted in the loss of 56 lives, damage to 3,200 schools, destruction of about 8,500 kilometres of roads and 2,500 bridges, and severe damage to 1,400 clinics, government buildings, and 19 colleges.
