Punjab Assembly Speaker Appeals for Unity, Urges Parties to Set Aside Politics Amid Flood Crisis

Chandigarh, September 26, 2025: Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan on Friday appealed to all political parties to rise above partisan politics during the special session convened to discuss the devastating floods that have ravaged the state. “No politics should be played over the floods,” Sandhwan said, urging legislators to work together to ensure swift relief and rehabilitation for affected communities.

The session began with tributes to the flood victims, as well as eminent personalities including former minister Harpal Toor, Punjabi comedian Jaswinder Bhalla, and music maestro Charanjit Ahuja. Punjab has witnessed unprecedented flooding this monsoon, affecting 23 districts, 2,565 villages, and over 3.90 lakh people. Official reports confirmed 57 deaths and four missing persons.

Irrigation Minister Barinder Goyal presented a resolution on flood relief and recovery. He criticized the delay in disbursal of the ₹1,600 crore assistance announced by the Prime Minister, highlighting that even token amounts had not reached beneficiaries. The minister proposed a further ₹20,000 crore support package for rehabilitation and rebuilding efforts.

During the debate, Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa raised pointed questions on the discrepancy between the central and state accounts of relief funds. He noted that when the Prime Minister visited Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann was reportedly at a hospital, and demanded clarity on the state of funds and accountability. Bajwa stressed that the flood situation has left the state devastated and called for a thorough investigation. He further demanded that the Irrigation Minister resign and that the Secretary of the Irrigation Department, Krishna Kumar, be suspended to ensure accountability.

The Punjab government has declared the state as disaster-hit and received ₹1,600 crore from the Centre, in addition to ₹12,000 crore in the State Disaster Relief Fund. The special session, which will continue until September 29, is expected to focus on strategies for rehabilitation, preventive measures, and strengthening the state’s flood management infrastructure.