The central government’s Union Budget 2024 allocated a substantial Rs 11,500 crore package to Bihar for flood-related disaster management, seemingly as a reward for its election ally JD(U). However, Punjab, which endured one of the worst monsoon crises last year, was conspicuously ignored.
Heavy rains last year led to widespread flooding and landslides across Punjab, devastating fields and causing significant damage to infrastructure, including roads, bridges, and power lines. Of the state’s 23 districts, 21 were severely affected, with Jalandhar, Ropar, Patiala, Fazilka, Ferozepur, and Gurdaspur bearing the brunt. The state government estimated total sectoral losses and restoration costs at Rs 1,680.21 crore.
A senior official detailed the Revenue Department’s loss and restoration estimates, highlighting substantial damages in agriculture (Rs 605.38 crore), roads (Rs 315.56 crore), water resources (Rs 191.97 crore), PWD roads and bridges (Rs 178 crore), and schools (Rs 33.28 crore). Despite these significant losses, the central government has not released the demanded disaster management funds. Although Punjab has reserves in its disaster management fund for current needs, there is a pressing requirement for special allocations to prevent future floods.
While the budget provided special assistance for reconstruction and rehabilitation to Uttarakhand, Assam, Sikkim, and even Himachal Pradesh, which has a Congress government, Punjab received no mention. These states will receive aid for rebuilding efforts, but Punjab’s critical needs were overlooked. A recent report highlighted stagnant water from last year’s floods in Jalandhar’s Dhakka Basti village, where residents live in uninhabitable conditions.
Farmers in the Mand area struggle to clear silt from their fields as monsoon clouds return. Fazilka farmers fear another flood if water is released from dams. Residents of Patiala, which saw 10 deaths last year, remain vulnerable.
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Revenue Minister Brahm Shankar Jimpa criticized the central government’s apparent discrimination, noting that the government has consistently ignored Punjab’s genuine losses. Former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi echoed this sentiment, arguing that Punjab has been treated like an enemy state by the BJP in the Union Budget, especially given the substantial allocation to Bihar for future flood prevention.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema accused the central government of step-motherly treatment, stating that instead of helping to double farmers’ incomes, the budget has increased their input costs. Farmers demand a legal guarantee of MSP on 23 crops, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised but was not mentioned in the budget.
Opposition Leader Partap Singh Bajwa and Shiromani Akali Dal chief Sukhbir Singh Badal criticized the budget’s failure to address crop diversification or debt waiver for distressed farmers. Badish Jindal of the Federation of Punjab Small Industries highlighted the absence of promised changes to Section 43B, which mandates a 45-day payment rule.
