Following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the flood-affected areas in Punjab on September 9, a series of visits by union ministers began. So far, 25 Union ministers have toured villages across the state, with more scheduled to come. These ministers are conveying a clear message: they have been dispatched by PM Modi to assess the situation and ensure that relief efforts effectively reach the affected families. Punjab experienced severe flooding in September due to unseasonal heavy rains and release of water from dams, leading to flooding in multiple districts. Thousands of hectares of cropland were submerged in over 2,000 villages, with houses damaged and livelihoods disrupted, particularly affecting small farmers and landless labourers. "The outreach aims to personally connect with at least 1.25 lakh households impacted by the floods. As of early October, over 51,000 houses have already received assistance in severely affected districts, including Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Ferozepur, Fazilka, Jalandhar, Hoshiarpur, Pathankot, Tarn Taran, and Kapurthala," said Anil Sarin, state general secretary of the BJP. "The ministers are actively meeting residents, taking ground reports from deputy commissioners, while local BJP leaders distribute flood relief material, including ration kits, folding beds, utensils, blankets, woollens, slippers, and other essential items to families whose homes were damaged, effectively assisting those starting life from scratch," said Sarin. In addition to distributing relief, teams are keeping detailed databases of beneficiaries using forms collected in flood-affected villages. "This is being done to ensure aid reaches genuine recipients and no household is left out. A database is also being compiled from villages with agricultural fields underwater, fields swallowed by rivers, or damaged houses. Pamphlets are also being distributed to villagers about the central government’s share in crop damage, house damage, compensation for deaths, or land/houses swallowed by rivers, as you never know what story the ruling AAP will tell the flood-affected people," said Kaka Kamboj, president of the BJP in Fazilka district. Sarin said the the BJP has set up eight warehouses in Jalandhar, which are stocked with relief materials donated by various states in Punjab, transported by nearly 300 trucks. These warehouses act as hubs for coordinating ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts. BJP is wasting time of officers, says AAP Meanwhile, the ruling AAP accused the BJP of undertaking "disaster tourism". AAP spokesperson Neel Garg said, "They are wasting the time of the officers in Punjab due to unnecessary protocols, as they are required to attend these meetings. However, they are not providing any real benefits to the public. They have yet to disburse the Rs 1,600 crore relief that Prime Minister Modi announced during his visit to Punjab on September 9." "The Centre is rubbing salt into Punjab’s wounds. Instead of providing relief to flood-ravaged Punjab, the BJP is busy spreading lies about causes of floods If the floods in Punjab are the fault of the Mann government, then who is responsible for the devastation in Himachal, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir? The truth is that the BJP is misleading the people of Punjab. Punjab needs relief, not politics," added Garg. Who visited where and when Union Minister of Agriculture Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited Punjab first on September 4, followed by Prime Minister Modi on September 9. Ministerial teams were then deployed to assess the damage, supervise relief efforts, and prepare for rehabilitation measures. These measures included desilting fields and restoring agricultural activities, starting from September 11. Union Minister of State for Defence Sanjay Seth visited the Amritsar constituency on September 11–12. During his visit, he covered several villages, including Raja Sansi, Motla, Nepal, Dhadal, Jasterwal, Khereyal, Shivashahpur, and Chunj. Shobha Karandlaje, Minister of State for Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises, as well as Labour and Employment, visited the Gurdaspur constituency on September 12–13. Her visit included stops in Chak Ram Sahe, Maaora Pattan, Maara Chonki, and Awen. B L Verma, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, and Social Justice and Empowerment, visited the Ludhiana constituency on September 12 and 13. During his visit, he covered the areas of Bholewal Kadeem, Thoker No. 5, Khaira Bet, Dolo Kalan, and Sasrali Colony. He assured the residents that all relief funds would be transferred directly to their bank accounts. Ravneet Singh Bittu, Minister of State for Food Processing Industries and Railways, visited Fazilka constituency on September 12–13, covering Dharamkot Randhawa, Wariam Khera, Patti Bila, Dalmir Khera, Dhani Natha Singh Wala, and Jalalabad. Harsh Malhotra, Minister of State for Corporate Affairs and Road Transport & Highways, toured Kapurthala constituency on September 12–13, interacting with residents in Begowal, Dhillwan, Baupur, Amritpur, Bhaguwal, and Gurudwara areas of Saiflabad and Ahli Kallan. Dr L Murugan, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting as well as Parliamentary Affairs, visited the Ropar constituency on September 13–14. During his visit, he covered the areas of Shahpur Bela, Nangal, and Hariwal. George Kurian, Minister of State for Minority Affairs, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying, returned to Gurdaspur on September 14–15. He focused on the Dera Baba Nanak region, the Shri Kartarpur Corridor, and nearby villages. Raksha Nikhil Khadse, Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports, visited the Patiala constituency on September 15 and 16. During this visit, he covered areas including Samana, Ghanaur, and Hansi Bhutana. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, visited the Pathankot constituency on September 17 and 18, focusing on Kailashpur, Pangoli, and other nearby areas affected by flooding. Durgadas Uikey, Minister of State for Tribal Affairs, visited Patiala’s flood-affected villages on October 7–8, while Shripad Naik, Minister of State for Power and Non-Renewable Energy, conducted visits on October 6–7 in Kapurthala, having previously toured Ferozepur in September. Minister of State for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal visited Fazilka on October 7, emphasising a special strategy to provide relief to affected families. Outreach efforts coordinated with local authorities The outreach programme signifies a change from previous BJP initiatives, such as the 'BJP de Sewadar as Gaye Tuhade Dwar'. The Punjab government discontinued this program in August due to administrative concerns, and AAP leaders had accused it of data theft. The current ministerial visits are officially coordinated with local authorities, allowing Central government representatives to gather ground reports, maintain databases, and ensure the direct delivery of relief to affected households. Pritpal Singh Baliawal, state spokesperson of the BJP, said, "By October 16, 32 union ministers are expected to complete their visits across Punjab, with ongoing efforts to reach every flood-affected village. The outreach focuses on the Central government’s priority of rehabilitating affected households, assisting farmers, and ensuring that relief reaches the intended beneficiaries, while also highlighting administrative gaps in the state’s response." The BJP leaders also allege that this was a human-made flood by the state government and are distributing a "chargesheet" against the state government. Iqbal Singh Mallah, a nambardar (village head) of the Muthianwala block of Ferozepur, said, "In our village, around 230 forms were filled by BJP leaders and kits are being distributed. BJP ministers are visiting the area one after another. This time they are making sure to publicise enough about the Centre's contribution and the share of the Centre in various heads. In the 2023 floods, we had got only Rs 6,800 per acre compensation, which was only the Centre's share. Farmers got this information very late."
