Punjab Outlook

Amritsar —BJP spokesperson Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala praised the role played by the people of Haryana and Rajasthan in extending help to Punjab’s flood victims. He also appealed to Hindu religious and social organizations, particularly the Shankaracharyas of prominent Maths and the management committees of major temples, to come forward and support Punjab in this moment of grave crisis.
Prof. Sarchand Singh said that the people of Punjab have always set an example of humanitarian service. Without any discrimination of caste, creed, religion, or race, the Sikh community and Punjabis have extended their hand of support during natural calamities in Odisha, Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, and Nepal. Despite limited resources, Punjabis have participated wholeheartedly in relief efforts, shared the pain of humanity, and performed selfless service.
Prof. Khiala pointed out that the devastation caused by the floods has created a grave crisis for Punjab’s agriculture and its farmers. Farmers, already burdened with debt and declining farm incomes leading to suicides, have now suffered such a severe economic and psychological shock from this disaster that recovery will take a long time.
Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala appealed to the Central Government to immediately revise the rules and conditions of the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) to enhance compensation for Punjab’s farmers. He said that the existing SDRF provision of compensation up to only ₹6,800 per acre for crop loss is completely unjustified and can never make up for the massive damages suffered by farmers. He demanded that, if possible, all such restrictive norms be scrapped to provide real relief.
He further said that although there is no restriction on spending SDRF money for flood-prevention measures, the Punjab government is hiding its own failure by citing SDRF norms as an “excuse.” If the state government had already spent the existing disaster funds on preventive works, Punjab would not have faced such large-scale devastation. Prof. Khiala alleged that the government is reluctant to present the account of ₹12,000 crore already lying in SDRF because it has squandered the funds on Kejriwal’s visits, self-serving political advertisements, and wasteful expenditures.
Prof. Khiala also alleged that the state government’s intent towards its people is not clear. If the Punjab government had deposited farmers’ share of ₹32 crore as premium under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, then today every farmer would have received insurance cover worth ₹42,000 per acre. But the state’s negligence has deprived Punjab’s farmers of this rightful benefit.
Similarly, under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, 23 lakh farmers of Punjab were eligible for benefit, but only 8 lakh farmers remained covered. The main reason, he said, was the state government’s failure to ensure timely e-KYC, which amounts to the biggest betrayal of farmers.
In conclusion, Prof. Sarchand Singh Khiala thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for providing an immediate relief of ₹1,600 crore for flood-hit Punjab. He said the state government must urgently send a detailed proposal to the Centre for further assistance. He also expressed regret that the state government failed to highlight the losses suffered by farm laborers and small traders before the Prime Minister.