Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab to review the flood situation and his announcement of a Rs 1,600 crore relief package has set off debate over whether the Centre’s response matches the scale of the state’s suffering.
By official estimates, nearly 35 lakh people across more than 1,400 villages have been affected, crops on 2.5 lakh acres destroyed, and losses pegged at over Rs 13,500 crore. In this backdrop, analysts and political observers say the Centre’s package appears more symbolic than substantial.
“It looks large when presented as a lump sum, but when you measure it against the scale of loss, the gap is glaring,” said Harbhajan Singh, a Chandigarh-based political analyst. “If you simply divide Rs 1,600 crore among the affected population, it works out to around Rs 4,500 a person. That figure isn’t meant to be a literal payout, but it captures how inadequate the package is compared to what families actually need.”
He said the comparison with neighbouring Himachal Pradesh, which received Rs 1,500 crore despite having one-fourth Punjab’s population, has further sharpened the criticism.
Observers say the politics of allocation cannot be ignored. “Disaster relief in India is rarely just about economics; it reflects the political equation between the Centre and the state,” they noted.
They further added, “Here, Punjab has suffered greater losses but secured only a marginally higher package. That discrepancy will be noticed.”
For the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Punjab, the Centre’s support falls far short of the Rs 60,000 crore the state government says is required for rebuilding. Farmers on the ground echo the sentiment. “Relief packages are announced, but hardly we get anything. Do the state and centre government actually have any real plans to compensate the family that has lost its home and harvest?” asked Kanwaljit Singh, a farmer in flood-hit Kapurthala.
Analysts believe the BJP intended Modi’s aerial survey and the announcement to project urgency and concern in a state where it is trying to expand its political base ahead of the 2027 Assembly elections. But they caution that if the package is widely seen as token relief, the optics may backfire.
“Punjab is a politically sensitive state. Any perception of neglect or indifference can harden attitudes. In the long run, what matters is whether flood-hit families feel supported, not just whether the Prime Minister was seen in a helicopter over their fields", said Farm Leader, Swaran Singh.
