Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi and sought greater financial assistance for flood-hit areas of the state. The meeting lasted around 25 minutes, after which the CM addressed a press conference.
Mann said he told Shah that the ₹1,600 crore relief package given to Punjab was “like cumin in a camel’s mouth” compared to the massive damage caused by floods. “The Home Minister said this was just token money and assured that more funds will be provided,” Mann said.
The chief minister highlighted the scale of destruction, stating that nearly 2,300 villages were submerged, over 20 lakh people were affected, 8,500 km of roads were damaged, and school books were washed away, forcing the government to postpone the academic session. He pegged the losses at ₹13,800 crore so far, warning that the figure could rise to ₹20,000 crore.
Mann said the meeting with Shah was held in a “positive atmosphere,” but added that his repeated requests for time with Prime Minister Narendra Modi had gone unanswered. Earlier, Punjab had even passed a censure motion against the PMO during a special session called to discuss the flood situation.
“Punjab has stood with the country in every crisis. Now the country should stand with Punjab,” Mann said, stressing that there was no “credit war” between the state and the Centre over aid.
