Chandigarh, Sept 19: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced that a special session of the state Assembly will be held from September 26 to 29 to address the aftermath of recent floods and introduce “people-centric” amendments to existing rules.
“The session will approve new regulations to ensure proper compensation and relief for flood victims,” Mann said, emphasizing his government’s commitment to supporting residents affected by the disaster.
The floods have caused widespread devastation, submerging over 2,300 villages and impacting more than two million people. Crops over five lakh acres have been destroyed, 57 lives lost, and around seven lakh people displaced, the Chief Minister said. Infrastructure damage includes 3,200 schools, 19 colleges, 1,400 clinics and hospitals, 8,500 km of roads, and 2,500 collapsed bridges. Preliminary estimates put the total losses at roughly Rs 13,800 crore, though the final figure could be higher.
Punjab experienced one of its most severe floods in decades due to swollen Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers, as well as seasonal streams swelling from heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. Districts most affected include Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Kapurthala, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Ferozepur, Fazilka, and Tarn Taran.
Mann also mentioned the government’s efforts to ensure relief and rehabilitation reach all affected citizens. Earlier, he appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release Rs 60,000 crore of state funds “held up” by the Centre and requested a revision of the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) norms, describing current provisions as insufficient for adequately compensating farmers, livestock owners, and vulnerable populations.
During his visit to Punjab, Modi announced financial aid of Rs 1,600 crore to support relief and recovery operations.
