Punjab Irrigation Minister Janmeja Singh Sekhon on Saturday slammed former chief minister Amarinder Singh’s statement that the rescue and rehabilitation operation in flood affected areas is State’s responsibility and the centre has nothing to do with it.
“This depicts the indifference and bias of the Congress party towards Punjab. How can a man of the stature of Amarinder Singh who remained at the helm of affairs as Chief Minister of Punjab be so oblivious about the Center-State relationship as far as finances are concernedIJ” Sekhon asked.
Slamming the former Chief Minister of Punjab for his unsympathetic stance towards the miseries of Punjabis, Sekhon said that before issuing such meaningless statement, Capt Amarinder must update himself with the statistics.
Reminding Capt Amarinder about the financial assistance under calamity relief fund (CRF), he said the norms of CRF were set by Centre. He said at present the Centre only gives Rs 3600 per hectare in the case of total loss of crop due to floods. He said Punjab was the first State which gave financial assistance of Rs 5100 per hectare to the farmers for the total loss of crop by adding in Rs 1500 in the centre grant thus helping the farmers during calamities.