Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan visits flood-affected Punjab

Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday (September 4, 2025) visited flood-hit areas in Punjab, even as the State Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema asked the Union Government to demonstrate the same humanitarian spirit towards Punjab as it had in extending aid to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

Also read: Rain, flood batter Indian States highlights

Mr. Chouhan interacted with farmers in the flood-affected villages in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, and Kapurthala districts. On the instructions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Central government was sending two high-level teams to Punjab to assess the situation, including officers from the Ministries of Agriculture, Rural Development, Roads, Energy, Finance, and Jal Shakti, the Minister said.

These teams would visit the affected areas, assess the situation, and submit their report to the Central Government. “The affected people will be consulted to understand the ground situation, and a detailed report will be submitted to the Prime Minister,” Mr. Chouhan said in a statement.

Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian, who accompanied Mr. Chouhan, urged the Union Agriculture Minister to provide an immediate relief and financial package to address the devastating impact of floods. Mr. Khudian also demanded enhanced compensation to support affected farmers after over four lakh acres of the State’s agricultural land submerged, threatening food security in the State as well as nationally.

Mr. Khudian said standing crops at over 4 lakh acres of farmland had been inundated, according to preliminary assessments. With paddy fields being the worst affected just weeks before harvesting season, he said the devastation has resulted in significant losses for farmers and the State’s agricultural economy. “The impact on the rural economy is further exacerbated by substantial damage to livestock,” he said.

Earlier, upon his arrival, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria submitted a detailed report on the flood situation to Mr. Chouhan in Amritsar.

Meanwhile, Punjab Finance Harpal Singh Cheema questioned the Union government’s priorities, asking why relief materials were swiftly dispatched to Afghanistan, while flood-affected Punjab was facing delays in receiving financial and humanitarian assistance.

“If humanitarian aid can be sent across borders, then why the hesitation in helping our own people?” Mr. Cheema said, urging the Centre to prioritise the welfare of flood-affected citizens, and expedite the release of relief packages, infrastructure support, and rehabilitation measures.