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Provide at least ₹50,000 per acre as flood aid: Punjab CM to Centre
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said although funds were available in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), the relief guidelines issued by the Union ministry of home affairs fell far short of reality.
Amid rising floodwaters in Ferozepur, Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann took to the field in a boat on Tuesday, urging the Centre to give Punjab its due by revising what he termed the “unrealistic and insufficient” disaster relief norms.
Mann said although funds were available in the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF), the relief guidelines issued by the Union ministry of home affairs fell far short of reality.
“The current norms are unrealistic. Farmers receive meagre compensation per acre, which does not even cover their rising input costs. Given the devastating crop damage, at least ₹50,000 per acre should be provided,” he asserted while visiting Gatti Rajo Ki village.
The chief minister has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking enhancement of ex gratia payments for disaster victims. He demanded that compensation for families of the deceased be raised from ₹4 lakh to ₹8 lakh, and for disability cases from ₹74,000 to ₹1.5 lakh (40-60% disability), and from ₹2.5 lakh to ₹5 lakh (above 60% disability).
Mann revealed that both the Prime Minister and Union home minister spoke to him on Monday, when he apprised them of Punjab’s situation. However, he criticised the restrictions imposed by the Centre, saying these were hampering timely relief.
Visiting flood-affected villages in Ferozepur district, the visibly emotional chief minister said Punjab always stood with the nation in times of crisis, and hoped that the country would reciprocate now.
“Whenever the country faced any crisis, Punjab always stood by it -- be it the green revolution or the fight for freedom. We have made maximum sacrifices. Today, Punjab is in crisis, and I hope the country stands by it,” he said.
Seeking the release of ₹60,000 crore pending with the Centre for Punjab, the chief minister said, “I am demanding the state’s rights. I am not begging from the Centre.”
“This is one of the worst flood-induced damages to crops and property in recent history. But Punjabis have always displayed an indomitable spirit, and with government support, we will overcome this crisis,” he added.
The chief minister highlighted that recent floods had impacted more than 1,300 villages across 10 districts, submerging nearly 3 lakh acres of farmland—mostly paddy fields—just weeks before harvest. Besides crop losses, rural households had suffered severe setbacks due to livestock deaths, further weakening their livelihoods.
Directing officials to conduct a meticulous assessment of damages, Mann assured that the state government was leaving no stone unturned in rescue, relief and rehabilitation operations.
Declare floods as ‘national calamity’: Warring
Demanding that the devastating floods, which had ravaged two states and a Union territory in the country’s northern part, be declared as “national calamity”, Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring on Tuesday asked as why Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot visit the flood-hit areas for on-spot assessment.
He said the state government had completely failed in providing relief and rehabilitation to the flood-hit people. Warring also questioned the “silence and absence” of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal, saying, he was “otherwise seen more in Punjab than in Delhi”.
