Punjab Cong seeks Rs 10K cr from Centre to cope with flood

Chandigarh, July 20 (IANS) A delegation of Punjab Congress leaders on Thursday met Governor Banwarilal Purohit here and sought release of Rs 10,000 crore from the Centre for restoration after floods in the state. 

In two memoranda, they demanded revocation of the decision to allocate 10-acre land to Haryana for the separate Vidhan Sabha and releasing additional funds from the government of India to compensate for the losses caused by the flooding in the state. 

Addressing the media after submitting the memoranda, state unit Congress chief Amarinder Singh Warring said "the delegation apprised the Governor of the pitiable condition of the state". 

"We spoke with the Governor and shared with him the on-ground situation of the worst flood-hit villages. We told him about the extensive damage to infrastructure, people and cattle caused by the floods and requested him to use his good office and press the Centre to release additional funds of Rs 10,000 crore to help Punjab recover from the floods and compensate and rehabilitate its people," said Warring. 

Saying that the Central government is deliberately making attempts to undermine Punjab's claim over Chandigarh, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa said in the other memorandum "we have strongly condemned the allotment of 10-acre land to Haryana for a separate Vidhan Sabha, which is a clear violation of Punjab's agreement on the basis of which Chandigarh was made". 

Lambasting the decision of allotting land to Haryana in Chandigarh, Bajwa said the leadership appealed to the Governor to do justice to his position as administrator of Chandigarh and the Governor of Punjab and revoke the allotment. 

He said it is the duty of the Governor to safeguard the rights of Punjab. 

Bajwa alleged that the Central government in cahoots with the Haryana government has been repeatedly attempting to undermine Punjab's claim over Chandigarh. 

"This unconstitutional backdoor entry has not only confirmed our claim but has also exposed the malafide intentions of the BJP-led Central government. We have opposed the allotment and we will not allow even a single inch of Chandigarh to go to any other state," added Bajwa.