Union minister visits flood-hit Punjab, blames illegal mining
Union Minister B L Verma visited Sasrali village in Punjab's Sahnewal area on Friday to see the flood situation up close.
He toured the temporary embankments set up to protect homes and farms from the overflowing Sutlej river, and spoke with locals about their struggles after nearly 450 acres of farmland were damaged—as highlighted by Punjab BJP spokesperson Pritpal Singh Baliawal, who cited illegal mining as the primary reason for the destruction.
₹1,600 crore relief package for Punjab
Verma assured residents that the central government has their back, announcing an extra ₹1,600 crore relief package for Punjab on top of the ₹12,000 crore already allocated under disaster response funds.
He emphasized that Prime Minister Modi's government is committed to supporting Punjab through this crisis and will step up further if needed.