2 Sep 2025 : With the floods ravaging several parts of the state, leaders of the ruling party as well as the Congress on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking an immediate relief package. Aam Aadmi Party’s Sangrur MP Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer sought ₹20,000 crore, followed by a comprehensive assessment of the loss for further assistance.
In the letter, Hayer also urged the PM to release the pending ₹60,000 crore funds of Punjab without delay. The MP urged the Centre to announce a special central package for Punjab, including adequate compensation for flood-affected families, rebuilding of damaged infrastructure, restoration of irrigation systems, and strengthening of river embankments. He recommended that the embankments along the Ghaggar and other rivers be reinforced to at least 4.5 feet high for future protection. He also said that senior leaders of the Centre should also visit Punjab to assess the ground-level situation and witness the scale of damage firsthand.
Finance minister hits out at Modi, Shah
Finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging that the PM was ignoring the devastation caused by floods in Punjab. Addressing a press conference here, Cheema said Union home minister Amit Shah spoke to chief minister Bhagwant Mann to take stock of floods in the state, but gave no assurance on the release the “pending” ₹60,000 crore or a relief package regarding which a letter was sent by the CM to the PM. The AAP leader also accused the Punjab BJP of holding political rallies instead of pressuring the central government to provide assistance to the state.
Warring seeks Centre’s intervention
Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, in a letter to the PM, sought an “urgent” flood relief package. The estimated loss runs into thousands of crores of rupees, he mentioned. “More than 1,300 villages have been hit so far and standing paddy crops, almost at the verge of harvesting, remain inundated. 26 lives have been lost so far. We seek our rightful due,” he stated.
This is the time for the country to stand by Punjab, he stated. Referring to the inter-ministerial committee constituted by the Union home ministry to assess flood losses in different states, he said this will take time while people needed relief right away.
Warring also expressed apprehension about the outbreak of diseases in the flood hit areas, besides, the erosion of fertile soil. He demanded that farmers in the affected areas may be provided fertilisers free of cost at least for the next two seasons.
Mann govt hiding failure: Bajwa
Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa accused the state government of shifting blame onto officials instead of accepting responsibility for the floods. He also said that the central government cannot escape blame either. “The Central Water Commission has a crucial role in collecting hydrological data, issuing flood forecasts, monitoring river basins and guiding states in reservoir and flood management. Yet, there was no convergence between the Centre and the state to prevent the disaster,” he added.
Summary:
The Punjab government and opposition parties have jointly written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, requesting a comprehensive flood relief package to aid affected regions and communities.