Punjab Finance Minister Cheema Urges Centre to Provide Flood Relief Like Afghanistan

Chandigarh : Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise, and Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday urged the Government of India to extend humanitarian aid to Punjab with the same urgency and commitment as it did for Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Highlighting the delays in relief material and financial assistance to the flood-affected state, Cheema questioned the Union Government’s priorities and stressed that Punjab, a key contributor to the nation’s food security and economic strength, deserves timely and adequate support in its hour of crisis.

In a press statement, the minister called for the Centre to prioritise the welfare of flood-affected citizens by expediting relief packages, infrastructure support, and rehabilitation measures. Cheema also appealed to the public to donate generously to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, assuring full transparency and accountability in the utilization of funds so that every rupee benefits the people most affected by the floods.

Addressing the recent reduction in GST rates, Finance Minister Cheema welcomed the new two-slab GST structure and urged that its benefits be passed on to common citizens to ease the burden of inflation. He reminded that when GST was introduced, all states had agreed to implement it on the condition that the Centre would compensate for any revenue losses until state economies stabilised. Cheema emphasised that Punjab’s economy remains vulnerable, particularly in the wake of the worst floods in four decades, and urged the Union Government to provide both timely GST compensation and financial assistance for flood relief.