AAP minister launches compensation distribution for flood-affected farmers

Punjab Cabinet Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar on Sunday launched the distribution of compensation to flood-affected farmers in Kapurthala district.

The event took place at village Kishan Singh Wala in the Sultanpur Lodhi constituency, where the minister handed over approval letters to nearly 25 farmers from the villages of Kishan Singh Wala, Chak Patti Baloo Bahadur and Hussainpur Boole. The compensation amounts have already been directly transferred to the beneficiaries’ bank accounts.

Addressing the gathering, Minister Bhullar said the initiative fulfils Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s promise to ensure financial aid reaches flood-affected families before Diwali. He noted that Punjab is the first state in the country to offer compensation at a record rate of Rs 20,000 per acre for damaged crops, underscoring the government’s commitment to timely and adequate support for the farming community.

He further announced that the Punjab Government will assist in restoring flood-damaged cultivable land and will provide wheat seed for five lakh acres ahead of the upcoming sowing season. Under “Mission Punarwas” (Mission Rehabilitation), 13 Cabinet Ministers are visiting flood-hit areas across the state to distribute compensation and approval letters directly to the affected families.

Minister Bhullar informed that special girdawari (field assessment) work is nearly complete and all eligible farmers in Kapurthala district will receive compensation within the next few days. He added that Rs 14.50 crore has been released by the state government for flood relief in the district.

Referring to Chief Minister Mann’s earlier efforts, Bhullar said the Mission Punarwas campaign was launched at Ajnala, where compensation cheques worth Rs 5.70 crore were distributed to 631 farmers.

Sajjan Singh Cheema, Chairman of the Nagar Sudhar Trust Kapurthala and Aam Aadmi Party in-charge for Sultanpur Lodhi, thanked the government for standing by the people during times of distress. He lauded the Bhagwant Mann-led government’s efforts to support affected families with compassion and efficiency.

Prominent attendees included Advocate Karambeer Singh Chandi, AAP Kapurthala in-charge; Harnoor Singh Harji Mann, AAP Phagwara in-charge; Deputy Commissioner Amit Kumar Panchal; SSP; Additional Deputy Commissioner Navneet Kaur Ball; SDM Sultanpur Lodhi Alka Kalia; and SDM Kapurthala Major Irwin Kaur.