CONGRESS, SAD-BJP’S COLOSSAL CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE BEHIND DELUGE IN PUNJAB: AMAN ARORA

CONGRESS, SAD-BJP’S COLOSSAL CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE BEHIND DELUGE IN PUNJAB: AMAN ARORA

 

 

 

* 2017 declaration of Beas river as conservation reserve a prime example of Congress Govt’s blind politicking, says Arora

 

 

 

* AAP led Punjab Govt takes courageous step to notify over 850 water bodies to prevent future tragedies under Northern Canal & Drainage Act, 1878, says Aman Arora

 

 

 

* Highlights decreased water retaining capacity of Bhakra Dam reservoir and Harike Lake

 

 

 

• AAP President appeals to 117 MLAs to put aside political differences & collectively demand change in SDRF norms & comprehensive relief package from Centre to address monumental losses

 

 

 

Chandigarh, September 29:

 

 

 

Exposing the decades of negligence and political deceit that led to the devastating floods across the state, Cabinet Minister and President of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab, Mr. Aman Arora, today held the previous Congress and SAD-BJP governments, along with the BJP-led central government, directly responsible for the disaster and Punjab’s plight, cataloguing a series of catastrophic policy failures and criminal acts of betrayal against the state’s interests.

 

 

 

While dismantling the opposition’s rhetoric during the special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Mr. Aman Arora pointed to the Congress government’s 2017 decision to declare a 260-km stretch of the Beas River a “Ramsar Site” as a prime example of a hollow political wisdom. He termed it a blind, politically motivated decision taken without any application of mind, which made de-silting of the river literally impossible directly resulting to the flooding in four to five districts. He challenged senior Congress leaders who were part of then cabinet to explain the decision that has proven so destructive to the people they served.

 

 

 

Furthermore, Mr. Aman Arora detailed the ticking time bomb of the Bhakra Dam, where severe siltation has reduced the dead & live storage capacity of the Gobind Sagar reservoir by a staggering 25%. This negligence, accumulated over generations of rule by the Congress and Akali-BJP alliances, devastating downstream areas in Punjab.

 

 

 

Citing 2023 survey report, Mr. Aman Arora highlighted that Harike Lake, a vital wetland in Punjab, has reportedly lost 56% of its water retaining capacity, he exposed the blatant injustice in the management of Harike Lake, where the Rajasthan government, which is major beneficiary of the water from Harike Barrage, has refused to share the cost of de-silting, despite several letters written to the neighbouring state.

 

 

 

Underscoring the issue of rivers water management and the riparian principle, Mr. Aman Arora stated, “the central government controls water storage in dams and compels the state to release water to non-riparian neighbouring states. This is the most one-sided and unjust law I have ever seen. The absurdity of the situation where the riparian State faces submergence due to floods caused by the water release. This goes against the riparian principle and the special session of the Assembly convened to discuss this critical issues but non-serious opposition is busy to secure brownie points.”

 

 

 

In a stunning historical revelation, Mr. Aman Arora highlighted that despite the Northern Canal and Drainage Act of 1878, which empowers the government to notify rivers, choes and other water bodies to prevent encroachment, not a single river, drain or choe was notified in Punjab in over 170 years including Congress, Akali and BJP regimes. This criminal abdication of duty, he asserted, allowed encroachments on riverbeds, which are now the one of the primary causes of the widespread destruction of houses, crops and property during the recent floods. In contrast, he praised the current AAP led Punjab government for its courageous move to notify over 850 water bodies to prevent future tragedies under the Act.

 

 

 

Mr. Arora presented a damning financial breakdown of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), revealing that the Central Government provided Rs 6190 crore to Punjab over 25 years. Of this, Rs 4608 crore was allocated during the previous Congress and Akali Dal-BJP governments, while Rs 1582 crore came during the current regime. The Punjab Government contributed Rs 2042 crore, and a total of Rs 4305 crore has been spent. However, the calculating notional interest of Rs 7623 crore paid by the state government, the Centre arrived at a figure of Rs 12,600 crore.

 

 

 

Flagging the similar situation during congress regime, he said that when congress government took over in 2017, the CAG report dated 31-3-2017 showed Rs 4740.42 crore in the SDRF account, yet the RBI declared the Punjab Government bankrupt just two days prior due to non-payment of Rs 760 crore and 14 days overdraft. He reminded the House that it was the previous Congress government that was declared financially bankrupt by the RBI, reducing a “Rangla Punjab” to a “Kangla Punjab.”

 

 

 

Condemning the opposition’s political theatrics over a humanitarian crisis, Mr Aman Arora stated that while people are suffering, they are more focused on mudslinging. He emphasised that the real battle lies with the Central government, which needs to revise the relief norms that are woefully inadequate.

 

 

 

Mr. Aman Arora made an emotional appeal, recounting the devastation he witnessed in villages near Harike Pattan, where people lost everything overnight. He urged all 117 MLAs to put aside political differences and collectively demand a revision in SDRF norms and a comprehensive relief package from the Centre Government that addresses the monumental losses faced by the people of Punjab.