Chandigarh, October 28: Months after floods ravaged Punjab’s farmlands, the state government has begun distributing free wheat seeds to help affected farmers resume cultivation. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann personally flagged off seven trucks from Amritsar on Sunday, launching the first phase of seed delivery to the worst-hit districts.
Officials said around 1.85 lakh quintals of wheat seeds, worth about ₹74 crore, will reach farmers before the Rabi sowing season begins. The initiative, meant exclusively for those whose fields were submerged, covers nearly five lakh acres of damaged farmland.
“The government’s priority is to ensure that farmers don’t miss the sowing window. The Chief Minister’s decision to personally lead the initiative underscores the seriousness of the crisis,” a senior agriculture department official said.
This year’s floods were among the most destructive in Punjab’s history—impacting more than 2,300 villages, damaging 8,500 km of roads, collapsing 2,500 bridges, and destroying thousands of homes and public buildings, including over 3,000 government schools and 1,400 health centres. The state’s initial damage estimate stands at ₹13,800 crore.
Opposition leaders, while acknowledging the government’s quick response, said longer-term measures are needed. “Relief is welcome, but farmers need a sustainable rehabilitation plan, including compensation and soil restoration support,” a senior Congress leader said.
Farmers in flood-hit regions such as Sangrur, Ferozepur, and Hoshiarpur have already begun preparing their fields as the water recedes. “We lost everything in the floods, but these seeds are a start,” said Gurmeet Singh, a farmer from Fatehgarh Sahib. “If the weather stays kind, we’ll be sowing again next week.”
The Mann government has indicated that compensation payments and crop insurance clearances will follow in the coming weeks. Officials said the aim is to ensure that “no farmer is left behind as Punjab’s fields turn green again.”
