The Congress party has slammed the Punjab government’s decision to give Rs 20,000 per acre as flood relief, calling it too little compared to farmers’ actual losses. Leaders said the AAP government ignored input costs and livestock deaths that added to the crisis.
State Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said farmers have suffered long-term damage as both crops and soil were destroyed. He warned that without quick payments, the relief could become “another hoax.” He added that losses stand at about Rs 50,000 per acre, and damp soil will prevent wheat sowing for months. Farmers will also need more fertilisers to restore productivity.
Warring further accused the government of ignoring livestock losses worth lakhs. Opposition leader Partap Singh Bajwa rejected the AAP claim of granting the “highest-ever” relief, calling it false.
AICC Secretary Pargat Singh described the announced aid as “a drop in the ocean.” He demanded Rs 50,000 per acre for crops, Rs 1 lakh per acre for sugarcane, and a three-month waiver of VAT on diesel. He also criticised the Rs 4 lakh relief for families of flood victims as inadequate.
