Chandigarh, November 18, 2025: The Punjab government has intensified its flood relief efforts under “Mission Chardikala,” with Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s administration reporting that assistance has now reached 1,143 villages. Officials said more than ₹35 crore has been transferred directly into bank accounts without involving middlemen, underscoring the state’s push for transparency and quick disbursal.
During the third phase of the drive, ₹35 crore were released over two days, followed by ₹17 crore on the fourth day. Relief events were held at nearly 70 locations in Amritsar, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Hoshiarpur, Mansa, Sangrur and SBS Nagar. Authorities said the intention was to ensure that representatives met affected residents in person. “This government came in the name of the common people, and we consider it our responsibility to be on the ground,” an official noted.
In Ferozepur, MLAs Ranbir Singh Bhullar, Rajneesh Dahiya, Naresh Kataria and Fauja Singh Sarari distributed ₹16.68 crore to around 3,000 farmers. Similar programmes were held elsewhere: MLA Gurdeep Singh Randhawa provided ₹3.71 crore to 935 families in Dera Baba Nanak, while former cabinet minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal handed out ₹5.86 crore to 1,330 farmers in Ajnala. Officials described the outreach as a coordinated effort aimed at reaching every pocket of the flood-hit belt.
Cabinet minister Harjot Singh Bains supervised a distribution of ₹2.26 crore for crop losses in Jindwari village of Sri Anandpur Sahib. In Kapurthala’s Sultanpur Lodhi area, residents of Bhaini Kadar Bakhsh and Passan Kadim villages received approval letters valued at ₹40 lakh. MLA Davinderjeet Singh Laddi Dhose distributed ₹5.83 crore to 1,350 beneficiaries in Dharmkot, while Amritsar’s Lopoke area saw SDM Sanjeev Sharma hand over approval letters amounting to ₹26 lakh. “Every MLA and minister has been on the field,” an official said.
The government said Punjab has become the first state to introduce its current compensation slabs: ₹40,000 for fully damaged houses (up from ₹6,500 earlier); ₹20,000 per acre for crop loss; ₹37,500 for milch animals; ₹32,000 for non-milch; ₹20,000 for calves; and ₹100 per poultry bird. Officials added that the increase reflects the state’s attempt to support families who lost homes, livestock or farmland. “My crop was washed out, but the compensation reached within days,” a farmer said. Another resident, who lost two buffaloes, said, “I received ₹75,000 and can now plan to buy new ones.”
Corporate support has also come in, with Larsen & Toubro contributing ₹5 crore and Union Bank adding ₹2 crore. Government officials said all contributions and disbursals are being publicly accounted for to avoid misuse. They noted that partnerships with private entities often strengthen relief operations when executed transparently.
The state also highlighted its new “Jisda Khet, Usdi Ret” measure, which allows farmers to extract sand from their own fields to restore soil after flooding. The step has been described as the first of its kind in India. Officials said the decision emerged after widespread complaints from farmers seeking a workable solution to sand deposits left by floodwaters.
Residents across districts said the speed of assistance had brought relief. “Help came so fast for the first time,” a villager remarked. For many families, Mission Chardikala has become a symbol of renewed confidence in government support during crises.
