Punjab farmers allowed to sell silt from fields sans green nod

In a one-time measure, the Punjab Cabinet on Monday permitted flood-hit farmers to mine and sell silt deposited by rivers in their fields without obtaining green nod.

They will be allowed to clear their silt-laden fields by December 31.

The move is expected to help farmers recover their losses suffered due to state’s worst floods in decades.

The approval to the Jehda Khet, Ohdi Ret initiative was given at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann via videoconferencing from a Mohali hospital, where he is undergoing treatment for a bacterial infection.

Mann is expected to be discharged from the hospital in a day or so. Meanwhile, a spokesperson said silt had accumulated in fields at 2,064 villages. “Therefore, in a major reprieve to farmers, it has been decided that they will be allowed to remove silt from their fields and sell it if they wish to. They will be allowed to remove silt from their land without any permit by December 31,” the spokesperson said.

The spokesperson said the removal of silt from agricultural land by way of this one-time measure would not be considered mining of minerals. The deputy commissioners concerned shall declare the list of affected villages in a district where it could be done.

According to initial estimates, standing crops over 4.3 lakh acres had submerged.

After the meeting, Mann ordered the kin of the each dead Rs 4 lakh.

He said no instalment or interest on loans will be changed for debt taken from co-operative and agricultural development banks for next six months. Dairy farmers will also get compensation for the loss of cattle.

Other decisions

The Cabinet also granted prosecution sanction against former Punjab Minister Bikram Singh Majithia under Section 19 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

As per advice of the Advocate General, the matter with regard to granting of prosecution sanction of former minister first needs to be discussed in the Council of Ministers and thereafter it will be sent to the Governor for passing of a formal order.

An amendment to the Punjab Town Improvement Act, 1922, was also approved to enable urban local bodies of the state to utilise funds of improvement trusts through the Municipal Development Fund, which was established by the state government to undertake urban infrastructure works for which allocation is received from the state Budget every year.

The Cabinet also gave green signal to the Custom Milling Policy for Kharif Marketing Season (2025-26), starting from September 16 with procurement of paddy to be completed by November 30, 2025.

With an aim to allot mines in a more efficient manner, generate more revenue and increase more supply, the Cabinet gave nod to make amendments to modalities for their auction, granting of mining rights and period of auction under the Punjab State Minor Mineral Policy, 2023 and relevant rules of Punjab Minor Minerals Rules, 2013.

It gave approval to constitute the Punjab State Mineral Exploration Trust (SMET) to oversee the planned development of the mineral resources and their exploration in the state.

The Cabinet approved the creation of 1,007 posts in the School Education Department and regularisation of services of non-teaching staff under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) against these posts.

It granted nod to the Punjab Community Service Guidelines, 2025, with an aim to bring uniformity across district courts of the states of Punjab, Haryana and UT Chandigarh for effective implementation of three new criminal laws where sentence of community service is passed under Section 23(2) of the BNSS, or Section 18(1)(c) of Juvenile Justice Act 2015 or other laws throughout the country.

The cabinet gave nod to ensure pay protection on transfer (merger) of rural medical officers working under the Zila Parishad to the Department of Health and Family Welfare.

In order to strengthen police stations to ensure effective investigations, particularly in relation to drug cases and other organised crimes, the Cabinet gave nod to the creation of 1,600 new NGO’s posts (ASI, SI and Inspector) in district cadre.

Haryana CM meets Mann at hospital

Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Monday created a buzz in the political circles when he reached the private hospital in Mohali to enquire about the health of CM Bhagwant Mann. He stayed with Mann for 20 minutes, where, according to officials in Haryana “… the two leaders had a discussion on several important issues”.

“He also asked the CM about the flood situation in Punjab and assured him of all possible help,” the officials added.