Chandigarh, Sept 8: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday declared a comprehensive relief package for those affected by the state’s worst floods in four decades, announcing ₹20,000 per acre compensation for damaged crops and ₹4 lakh ex gratia for families of the deceased.
The announcement came after a cabinet meeting held in Chandigarh, which Mann attended virtually from a private hospital in Mohali where he has been admitted since September 5 for exhaustion and low heart rate. “Farmers who have suffered losses due to floods will receive ₹20,000 per acre. This is the highest-ever per acre compensation given by any government in the country,” Mann said in his live address.
In another significant step, the state cabinet cleared a new policy titled Jisda Khet Usdi Ret (the sand belongs to the farmers). Under this policy, landowners in flood-hit regions will be allowed to remove and sell the sand deposited by floodwaters in their fields until November 15, without needing any government permit or NOC. “This will help farmers prepare their land for the coming rabi season,” Mann noted.
The move followed concerns raised by farmers over thick deposits of silt and sand that threatened to delay cultivation. A day earlier, AAP’s Punjab affairs in-charge Manish Sisodia had indicated that such a policy would soon be announced to ease farmers’ worries.
The cabinet also approved an ex gratia of ₹4 lakh for families who lost loved ones in the disaster. Mann, however, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging the Centre to enhance compensation norms. In his August 31 letter, he sought an increase in crop damage compensation from the current ₹15,000 per acre to ₹50,000 per acre, arguing that “since the crops were almost ready for harvest, farmers deserve at least ₹50,000 per acre.” He also recommended doubling the existing ₹4 lakh ex gratia for loss of life to ₹8 lakh, while assuring that the state would continue contributing 25% of the relief amount as mandated.
Punjab has been battling one of its worst flood crises in 40 years, with nearly four lakh people affected across 2,000 villages, according to government figures. The swollen Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers, coupled with incessant rainfall, have inundated vast tracts of land. More than 1.75 lakh acres of farmland remain submerged, leaving farmers struggling to salvage their livelihoods.
The floods have claimed 48 lives so far, while three people are still missing, officials confirmed on Monday. Districts including Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Amritsar have borne the maximum brunt of the disaster.
“Despite the challenges, the government stands with the people in this hour of crisis,” Mann said, pledging continued support to farmers and flood victims as relief and rehabilitation efforts intensify.
