Aam Aadmi Party MP from Sangrur Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer used the discussion on Supplementary Demands in Parliament of India to spotlight a range of social and economic concerns, calling for immediate financial and policy interventions from the Centre.
Focusing on welfare workers, Meet Hayer urged the government to regularise Anganwadi employees and substantially raise their current honorarium. He argued that these workers are central to child nutrition and early development, yet continue to be underpaid and insecure. Pointing to India’s poor standing on the Global Hunger Index, he said the promise of a developed India rings hollow when frontline workers are undervalued.
Turning to Punjab’s flood crisis, the MP said the damage caused by recent floods had far exceeded official estimates. While the Prime Minister had announced a relief package of ₹1,600 crore, Meet Hayer said the state’s actual losses stood close to ₹20,000 crore and even the promised funds had not reached Punjab. He pressed the Centre to immediately release the announced amount and sanction additional compensation to rebuild damaged infrastructure.
He also raised concerns about the Public Distribution System, noting that the absence of a census since 2011 has left many families without ration cards despite population growth and increased poverty levels. Meet Hayer called for the urgent issuance of new ration cards so that vulnerable households are not excluded from food security schemes.
On sports funding, he criticised what he described as an unfair allocation of grants. Citing Punjab’s strong contribution to Indian hockey and medal wins by players from the state, he said funding should be linked to sporting performance rather than political considerations. He contrasted this with Gujarat receiving large grants despite not winning medals at the Paris Olympics, and warned that with India set to host the Commonwealth Games in 2030, neglecting sports funding now could hurt future preparedness.
Overall, Meet Hayer said equitable funding, respect for workers, and need based welfare policies were essential if national development goals were to have real meaning on the ground.
