Punjab to give farmers whose fields have been destroyed ₹20k/acre
What's the story
The Punjab government has announced a relief package for those affected by the recent floods. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced ₹20,000 per acre compensation for farmers whose land was damaged. The CM also announced ₹4 lakh ex-gratia payment to the kin of those who lost their lives in the disaster. The cabinet has also approved a policy allowing landowners to sell sand deposited by floodwaters till November 15 without any permit or NOC from the state government.
Disaster impact
4 lakh people affected in Punjab
Punjab is witnessing its worst floods in 40 years, with the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi rivers overflowing. The disaster has impacted nearly four lakh people across 2,000 villages. Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Amritsar are among the worst-hit districts. Over 1.75 lakh acres of farmland have been submerged under water due to these floods.
Upcoming visit
PM to visit flood-hit areas
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said ₹71 crore has been released for relief efforts and 24 NDRF teams are working with state resources in rescue operations. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in Punjab is seeking ₹20,000 crore from the central government as a relief package. State AAP chief Aman Arora appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce the relief package during his visit to the state. PM Modi will visit Gurdaspur district on Tuesday.
Deaths
48 dead so far
As of Sunday, the death toll from the floods has reached 48. CM Mann was informed that as of Sunday, 387,898 people have been displaced, with an estimated 20 lakh people affected in 2,050 villages across all 23 flood-hit districts. While private schools were allowed to reopen from Monday, government schools will resume classes from September 9.