Opposition corners AAP govt over relief funds, demands independent probe into utilisation of SDRF

Terming the disclosure as “explosive”, Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, demanded an independent high-level audit of Punjab’s SDRF, raising urgent questions about the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led Punjab government’s management of public money.

Bajwa underscored the “glaring contradictions” at the heart of the AAP government’s narrative. “On one hand, the AAP government reportedly informed the Union government it had an opening balance of Rs 11,947.20 crore in the SDRF account as on 1 April 2025 and on the other, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann kept claiming that Punjab only received approximately Rs 1,582 crore from the Centre under SDRF since 2022. The stark disparity has fuelled suspicions of financial mismanagement and obfuscation,” Bajwa said.

The LoP said this vast and unexplained gulf in figures has ignited fierce suspicion of “financial mismanagement, narrative manipulation, and deliberate obfuscation”, slamming the government for muddying the waters instead of providing clarity.

“The AAP government’s contradictions on the SDRF are impossible to ignore anymore. The people of Punjab deserve complete transparency. There must be no confusion, no political spin, and no hiding behind half-truths,” Bajwa said.

The senior Congress leader further raised concerns regarding the Rs 1,600-crore flood relief package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi following Punjab’s devastating floods. “While CM Mann has accused the Centre of dragging its feet in releasing funds, Punjab BJP leaders — Sunil Jakhar and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu — have countered with their own charge: that the AAP government is wilfully misleading the public to mask its own failures in fund utilisation,” he said.

Bajwa said the unfolding situation is nothing short of shocking. “It is unbelievable — and frankly unacceptable — that the people of Punjab, especially the flood-hit families who lost everything, have been kept in the dark. Why are there conflicting claims? What exactly is this government trying to hide? The truth must come out, and it must come out now,” he said.

Jalandhar MLA Pargat Singh termed the MoS Home’s statement in Lok Sabha on the SDRF as “shocking”. “This brings us back to the same question we’ve been asking from day one: Why did both the Punjab and central governments turn SDRF into a blame game, while the people who genuinely needed help received nothing,” he asked.

The Congress MLA said funds meant for relief never reached the deserving families — the real victims of the disaster.

Phagwara MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal said the Chief Minister must immediately clarify to the people of Punjab how this “massive amount” was utilised. “Where exactly are these funds? Transparency is crucial, especially regarding disaster relief and public money. The state needs answers,” he said.

BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh referred to the “criminal misuse and diversion” of the SDRF in Punjab. He said the matter is serious enough to warrant an immediate CBI investigation, especially because the AAP government has tried to mislead Punjabis and incite anti-Centre sentiments by hiding the truth.

Chugh said that even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi took every possible step to support flood-hit families in Punjab, the AAP government was busy running an anti-national narrative, suppressing and twisting facts about the substantial aid released by the Centre.

He said that the opening balance of Rs. 11,947 crore lying unused in the SDRF, along with the advance release of the Centre’s entire contribution for 2025–26, proves that the crisis in Punjab was not natural alone—it was a “Mann-Made Disaster”.

“The Centre, under Modi, released both instalments of the SDRF Central share — Rs 240.80 crore each — even ahead of schedule. This was accompanied by additional support for flood-affected farmers, including over Rs 221 crore transferred directly to more than 11.09 lakh farmers under PM-KISAN, free wheat seed distribution worth Rs 74 crore under PM-RKVY, and joint Centre-state assistance for Berseem seed distribution benefiting thousands of hectares,” he said.

Referring to the Lok Sabha reply, Chugh said it is now abundantly clear that the Mann government has “misappropriated, diverted and concealed” the fund’s utilisation. He said Punjabis deserve to know where the money went, and why the state government kept them in the dark.

Chugh said that despite having enormous funds in its disaster relief account and receiving continuous central support, the Mann government chose to hide facts, distort data, and mislead Punjabis to whip up anti-Centre sentiment. “When people needed relief, Punjab’s money was locked up. Instead of using SDRF for immediate support, the AAP government spent its time building political narratives. This is criminal negligence,” he said.

He added that while the government spends crores on false publicity, advertisements, and image-building, it has done nothing for public welfare or infrastructure, leaving people frustrated and helpless. “The entire state exchequer today exists only to serve Mann’s mentors sitting in Delhi,” Chugh said.