Punjab floods Cong' s Bajwa slams Centre AAP govt for 'abandoning' state's farmers

Chandigarh, Aug 31 (PTI) Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa Sunday attacked both the BJP-led Centre and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab for allegedly abandoning state farmers in their darkest hour.
     Punjab is under the grip of massive floods, caused by the swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets due to heavy rain in their catchment areas in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
     "What we are witnessing today is a complete collapse of governance," Bajwa said.
     "Punjab's farmers have lost their entire season's livelihood, yet they are being offered just Rs 6,750 per acre for partial loss -- less than 10 per cent of the real earnings. One acre of paddy yields over Rs 70,000, but this so-called compensation is nothing more than an eyewash," he said.
     Punjab is reeling under its worst floods in nearly four decades. In just one week, 1,018 villages across several districts have been ravaged and over three lakh acres of farmland have been destroyed, he said.
     "For our farmers, this devastation is not just about numbers -- it is the collapse of livelihoods, homes and security," he said.
     Bajwa alleged that the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY) is deeply flawed. "Why has Punjab not been given a fair, farmer-friendly insurance model? This negligence has left our 'annadatas' completely exposed to disaster after disaster," Bajwa charged.
     He further lashed out at the AAP government, saying Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had ample time to create a state-level insurance fund or strengthen flood-protection infrastructure.
     "Instead, he wasted time on hollow publicity campaigns. Today, our farmers are paying the price of his negligence," he alleged.
     Holding the Centre equally responsible, Bajwa said, "At a time when Punjab needed the Centre's support the most, the prime minister has not announced even a single rupee of relief. Nor has he shown the will to reform and extend PMFBY in a way that suits Punjab's realities. This is nothing short of criminal neglect of the very 'annadatas' who feed the nation."
     Bajwa demanded that the Centre and state act immediately by extending a reformed PMFBY to Punjab with a plot-level coverage and speedy payouts, creating a state-level insurance fund, expanding insurance to cover crops, livestock and farmer health, while also investing in early warning systems, embankments and desilting so that farmers get relief that is fast, fair and future-proof.
     "Unless PMFBY is reformed and extended, and unless Punjab establishes its own robust insurance mechanism, our farmers will continue to drown in despair every time nature strikes," Bajwa warned.
     Meanwhile, Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami Sunday visited the flood-affected areas of Sultanpur Lodhi in Kapurthala, where he met the victims and distributed relief material.
     After meeting the affected families, Dhami said although the people are enduring immense suffering, they remain courageous and resilient even in such dire times.
     He added that the SGPC, an apex gurdwara body, has been continuously extending support to victims for several days and will continue relief work until conditions improve.
     Dhami further noted that even after the water recedes, people will face many challenges.
     Therefore, the SGPC will form a committee to assess the overall situation and submit a report, which will form the basis for assisting victims within its limited resources.
     Dhami also informed that many individuals wish to contribute to the SGPC's relief efforts, and for this purpose, a dedicated account number has been issued where contributions can be made.
     The SGPC president also reviewed the relief services being carried out by various local gurdwaras and instructed them to continue the efforts consistently.
     Criticising the state government, Dhami alleged that it "failed" to assist the people.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)