Rahul Gandhi writes to PM Modi, seeks comprehensive relief package for flood-hit Punjab

September 18, 2025

New Delhi:  Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging the Union Government to announce a significantly larger relief package for Punjab, which has been devastated by recent floods.

In his letter, Gandhi termed the Centre’s announcement of an initial ₹1,600 crore relief package as “grave injustice” to the people of Punjab, arguing that the scale of destruction requires a much bolder response. “The ₹1,600 crore initial relief announced by the Union Government does grave injustice to the people of Punjab. Estimates suggest that the state has suffered a loss of at least ₹20,000 crore,” Gandhi wrote.

Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi writes to PM Narendra Modi, regarding the floods in Punjab.

“…The Rs 1,600 crore initial relief announced by the union government does grave injustice to the people of Punjab. Estimates suggest that the state has suffered a loss of at least Rs 20,000… pic.twitter.com/Z0yr2ihNVt

— ANI (@ANI) September 17, 2025

Punjab has witnessed unprecedented floods in the past weeks, leaving large swathes of farmland submerged, damaging infrastructure, and displacing thousands of families. The state government has repeatedly stressed that the damages are massive and beyond its capacity to manage without substantial central assistance.

Gandhi urged the Prime Minister to facilitate a quick and independent assessment of the losses and ensure that a comprehensive relief and rehabilitation package is delivered at the earliest. “This crisis demands a bolder response,” he noted, stressing that both immediate humanitarian relief and long-term reconstruction support are urgently needed.

The Congress leader’s intervention comes amid mounting pressure on the Centre to scale up its response. Farmers, industry bodies, and civil society groups have called for greater financial support, warning that without timely aid, Punjab’s agrarian economy could take years to recover from the disaster.