Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in New Delhi on Tuesday to push for more flood relief. With recent devastating floods hitting Punjab hard, Mann asked for a special financial package to help the state recover from massive losses.
Mann pointed out that the central government’s Rs 1,600 crore relief fund falls way short. He shared that floods wrecked more than 4.8 lakh acres of crops, damaged over 17,000 houses, and affected 2.5 lakh livestock. Roads took a big hit too, with 4,657 km of rural paths ruined, along with 485 bridges, 1,417 culverts, and 190 mandis. In all, over 20 lakh people in 2,614 villages suffered, and 6.87 lakh had to leave their homes. Early estimates put the total damage at Rs 13,832 crore, covering farming, infrastructure, health, education, and jobs.
The chief minister called for updates to compensation rules under the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). Right now, farmers get just Rs 6,800 per acre for crop losses over 33%, but Mann argued that’s too low—especially since the floods struck just before harvest. He wants that bumped up to Rs 50,000 per acre to truly help Punjab’s farmers.
In the meantime, Punjab stepped up on its own. Using state budget funds, the government raised payouts for crop damage. For 26-33% losses, it’s now Rs 10,000 per acre (up from Rs 2,000). For 33-75%, it’s Rs 10,000 (from Rs 6,800). And for 75-100% destruction, farmers get Rs 20,000 per acre (from Rs 6,800), with the state covering Rs 14,900 of that—the highest contribution anywhere in India.
Mann also urged higher aid for homes hit by the Punjab floods. He suggested doubling the payout for fully or severely damaged houses in plain areas to Rs 2.40 lakh each (from Rs 1.20 lakh). For partial damage, pucca houses should get Rs 50,000 (up from Rs 6,500), and kutcha houses Rs 10,000 (from Rs 4,000).
On top of that, Mann raised a sore point: the central government owes Punjab Rs 11,297 crore in rural development fees and market fees. These funds, due under the Punjab Rural Development Act of 1987 and the Punjab Agriculture Produce Marketing Act of 1961, are meant to boost farming and rural setups—like better roads, storage, mandi automation, and land records. Delays are stalling progress on agriculture and infrastructure in the state.
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