Chandigarh, Jan 8 (NationPress) BJP's National General Secretary Tarun Chugh asserted on Thursday that yet another “glaring deception” by the Bhagwant Mann government aimed at misleading the residents of Punjab has come to light. He claimed that the previously announced Rs 20,000 crore flood relief package has been officially reduced to only Rs 11,855 crore as per the final damage assessment submitted by the state government.

In his remarks, Chugh accused the Aam Aadmi Party administration of attempting to fabricate allegations against the Central government, but they were once again compelled to retract their statements. He emphasized that the leadership under Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann sought to mislead the public despite what he characterized as unwavering support from the Modi government during challenging times.

Chugh further contended that to promote what he labeled a propaganda narrative, the Punjab government called a special session of the Assembly, which he argued was a misuse of taxpayer funds. He claimed this session was not intended to enhance flood relief measures or assist affected individuals, but rather to disseminate confusion, misinformation, and unfounded accusations against the Central government.

Describing the flooding as a “Mann-made catastrophe”, Chugh accused the state government of severe administrative failures. He noted that the first meeting for flood preparedness was held only on June 5, 2025, just 17 days before monsoon season began, making it impossible to clear the 2,800-km-long Dhussi embankments and drainage channels in time.

Additionally, he alleged that at the Madhopur headworks, 24 out of 28 gates were defective, and the Harike headworks had not undergone desilting for years, leading to significant embankment breaches and flooding affecting hundreds of villages.

Chugh claimed that the situation was worsened by what he called blatant mismanagement. He alleged that rampant illegal mining compromised riverbanks, while sudden and delayed water releases from the Ranjit Sagar Dam exacerbated flooding in Pathankot, Gurdaspur, and Amritsar districts.

Pointing out deficiencies in disaster response, Chugh stated that documents indicated only 15 motorboats were available across three severely impacted districts, leaving residents to fend for themselves during the floods.

Moreover, he alleged that while vast areas of Punjab were submerged, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was attending events in Tamil Nadu, and state ministers prioritized publicity over relief efforts. He also criticized Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, for engaging in politics rather than supporting flood-affected residents.

Chugh concluded by stating that from the beginning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ensured central intervention, dispatching several Union Ministers to Punjab and other flood-affected regions to evaluate the situation and coordinate assistance.