Bhupesh Baghel slams Centre, state over flood mismanagement in Punjab

During his two-day visit to assess the flood situation in Punjab, Baghel said that the catastrophe could have been mitigated if both the state and central governments had acted on early warnings about an above-normal monsoon

Former Chhattisgarh chief minister and Congress general secretary in-charge of Punjab, Bhupesh Baghel, on Saturday termed the recent floods in Punjab a “man-made disaster,” blaming administrative negligence and lack of timely action for the large-scale devastation across the state.

Congress Punjab in-charge Bhupesh Baghel, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring meet residents at flood-hit Fattewala village in Tarn Taran on Saturday. (HT)

During his two-day visit to assess the flood situation in Punjab, Baghel said that the catastrophe could have been mitigated if both the state and central governments had acted on early warnings about an above-normal monsoon.

Accompanied by senior Congress leaders including Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring, CLP leader Partap Singh Bajwa, and former chief minister Charanjit Singh Channi, Baghel toured several flood-affected areas. These included Dhunda (Khadoor Sahib), Gatta Badshah (Zira), Nihal Lavera (Ferozepur), and parts of Fazilka and Guruharsahai on Saturday. He is scheduled to visit Ghonewal (Ajnala), Dharamkot Randhawa, and the Dera Baba Nanak Corridor in Gurdaspur district on Sunday.

Baghel reiterated Congress’s demand for a comprehensive flood relief package and criticised the central government for its “insensitivity” and “unusual delay” in providing even interim relief. “While a detailed relief package may take time, immediate assistance should not have been withheld,” he said.