Release Rs 60,000 crore dues, increase flood relief: Bhagwant Mann writes to PM

New Delhi,UPDATED: Aug 31, 2025 19:11 IST

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the immediate release of Punjab's pending dues of Rs 60,000 crore, stressing that the state is going through one of its toughest times.

He noted that Punjab is facing one of the most severe floods in recent history, with over 1,000 villages and lakhs of people affected.

In his letter, Mann also demanded amendments to SDRF rules so that compensation for farmers affected by floods can be increased to Rs 50,000 per acre.

“Input subsidy where crop loss is 33 per cent and above has been fixed at Rs 17,000 per hectare, which translates into Rs 6,800 per acre. Paying such a petty amount would be a cruel joke with the farmers,” he said.

He added that the state government contributes an additional Rs 8,200 per acre, paying farmers Rs 15,000 per acre.

“Since the crops were almost at the harvesting stage, I feel that at least Rs 50,000 per acre should be paid to the farmers,” Mann further stated.

He said that nearly three lakh acres of farmland have been submerged due to the floods.

“About three lakh acres of farmland, primarily paddy fields, remain submerged under floodwater, leading to devastating crop losses just weeks before harvest. In addition, there has been a widespread loss of livestock, which is severely impacting rural households whose livelihoods are heavily dependent on dairy and animal husbandry,” Mann wrote.

The worst flood-hit districts include Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, Amritsar, Pathankot, Ferozepur, Fazilka and Hoshiarpur.

He also warned that the Centre’s scrapping of PMGSY projects worth Rs 828 crore in Punjab could adversely impact the state’s rural connectivity in the long run.

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