Chandigarh, Oct 1 (NationPress) Punjab Cabinet Minister Aman Arora issued a fierce critique of the BJP-led Central government on Wednesday, accusing it of displaying an anti-Punjab attitude and deceptively managing the state's request for a special flood relief package.

During a media briefing, Arora stated that the Central government and the Press Information Bureau (PIB) presented misleading information following Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, which he described as a betrayal of the people of Punjab.

"Once more, the BJP government's anti-Punjab and anti-Punjabi stance has been laid bare," he remarked.

He highlighted that after the catastrophic floods in the state, CM Mann had met Amit Shah on Tuesday to present three critical demands: a special package of Rs 13,800 crore for flood relief and rehabilitation, relaxation of SDRF and NDRF regulations to ensure that genuine compensation reaches affected families and farmers, and special provisions for crop damages due to heavy rainfall, addressing issues such as broken rice, discolored rice, and high moisture.

"During their meeting, Shah assured Punjab that the Centre would provide assistance as necessary. However, just hours later, the PIB released a statement that revealed the truth: instead of approving Punjab's requests, the Centre attempted to mislead the public by claiming that Punjab already has Rs 12,590 crore accessible under SDRF," Arora stated, calling this assertion a blatant effort to confuse the populace.

"Even if the Punjab government were to fully utilize these funds according to the Centre’s strict guidelines, not even Rs 1,200 crore could be released. Punjab has incurred damages amounting to thousands of crores, including 5 lakh acres of destroyed crops, homes, schools, hospitals, and roads. At Rs 6,800 per acre, the losses in crops alone total Rs 340 crore. How can the Centre assert that such a minimal amount of SDRF funds will suffice?" he questioned.

He added that CM Mann had formally requested the Centre on August 31 for fair revisions to SDRF guidelines, such as increasing death compensation from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 8 lakh, raising disability compensation to Rs 1.5 lakh, and adjusting house damage compensation from merely Rs 6,500 to at least Rs 50,000.

"In today’s world, can any family rebuild their home with Rs 6,500? The state government’s demand for a revision is justified. Is it unreasonable to seek justice for our citizens?" Arora asked.

Condemning the misleading propaganda surrounding the purported Rs 1,600 crore package announced by the Prime Minister, Arora stated: "Of this amount, Rs 805 crore is not new funding, Rs 170 crore was previously sanctioned by the NHAI, and other funds are from existing programs like PM Awas Yojana. Even the SDRF advance installment of Rs 260 crore, which would have been provided regardless of floods, has been inaccurately portrayed as part of this package. This is nothing but a betrayal of Punjab during a time of crisis. While families are losing their homes, children are losing their educational materials, and families are still struggling for basic needs, the Centre is deceiving Punjab with inflated figures.