Punjab Assembly session: Flood relief aid to be distributed from Oct 15, announces CM Mann

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday announced that the state government will start distributing flood relief compensation to farmers and the public from October 15 onwards.

Mann made the announcement during his address winding up the special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, convened to discuss the recent unprecedented floods that devastated the state.

He stated that teams of ministers will carry out the compensation exercise across the state.

The House also unanimously passed a resolution seeking a comprehensive special package of Rs 20,000 crore from the Centre for compensation to farmers, rebuilding infrastructure, and restoring livelihoods in flood-affected areas.

Additionally, it demanded the immediate transfer of Rs 1,600 crore relief to Punjab.

In a sharp rebuke to the Centre, the House condemned the Union Government's failure to sanction a relief amount commensurate with the scale of the floods.

The House also criticised the Prime Minister’s Office for not responding to Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s request for a meeting, calling it an insult to the people of Punjab.

A copy of the resolution will be sent to the Prime Minister, Union Home Minister, and Finance Minister, urging them to take immediate action.

Earlier in the day, the House was adjourned following a heated exchange between Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa and Finance Minister Harpal Cheema.

Cheema alleged that while Bajwa blamed the government for failing to provide relief, he himself was promoting self-interest through land deals at the expense of others.