Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who was admitted to Fortis Hospital in Mohali with a bacterial infection and had to miss Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s flood relief review during his Punjab visit, was discharged on Thursday after his condition stabilised.
Soon after reaching home, the Chief Minister turned his focus to flood relief operations, directing officials to provide him with full updates.
As per sources, CM Mann has convened a high-level meeting at his residence tomorrow, where secretaries of all departments will be present and deputy commissioners from every district will join via video conferencing. Each officer has been asked to present a detailed account of relief and rehabilitation work carried out so far.
Mann is also expected to review the next phase of recovery, including plans for cleaning operations, removal of silt and debris once water recedes and steps to check the spread of water-borne diseases. After the situation improves on the ground, he is likely to inspect affected areas personally.
The Chief Minister’s return to work comes as a political storm brews over disaster funds. The Centre recently announced a Rs 1,600 crore package for Punjab, and had maintained that nearly Rs 12,000 crore from the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) is also lying unspent with the state government.
BJP leaders have accused the Mann administration of inflating damage claims and failing to utilise existing funds effectively, while AAP has dismissed these charges, insisting that the relief announced so far is inadequate compared to the scale of destruction.
Congress has also attacked the Centre, calling the aid “peanuts” in the face of massive losses suffered by farmers and families.
