Punjab is ravaged, difference over fund allocation with Centre persist: Bhagwant Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann opened up on several issues during a special interview with India Today, but he laid special emphasis on the biggest issue that the state is currently grappling with- the worst floods in decades. He raised the row around relief funds provided by the centre, saying they were not enough.

Mann recently said that Punjab suffered considerable infrastructural, agricultural and livestock damage which was pegged at some 13,800 crore rupees. He said that once water recedes, the estimate of losses could be even higher.

On Unpolitics, Mann said as per the current amount of funds allocated under the State Disastser Relief Fund (SDRF), only Rs 6,800 is allocated per acre to farmers for loss of crops which needs to be increased to Rs 20,000 but the state government doesn’t have enough funds.

He said while the Centre allocated Rs 1,600 crore,  PM Modi told him to use another Rs 12,000 crore of funds from the SDFR. Mann said that he is not able to use that since 75 per cent of SDRF is controlled by the Centre. He said while he did not want to do politics over the same, but hoped his demands are met.