To assess the damage caused by the devastating floods in Punjab, a special Girdawari (crop damage assessment) has been launched across the state from today. In this regard, Punjab’s Revenue, Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Minister, S. Hardeep Singh Mundian, directed all concerned officers to carry out this process in a transparent, time-bound, and result-oriented manner so that no affected family is deprived of its rightful compensation.
S. Hardeep Singh Mundian said that under the directions of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, this campaign has been launched on a war footing. The Chief Minister has assured that every flood victim in Punjab will be compensated within 45 days. He stressed that the entire process will be conducted with honesty and accountability, and clarified that this compensation is not a favor, but the rightful due of the affected people.
The Revenue Minister warned that any negligence or deliberate delay by officers would invite strict disciplinary action. He assured that the state government would personally monitor the process on a daily basis to ensure fairness and efficiency in the special Girdawari.
The Cabinet Minister also instructed that revenue officers from unaffected areas be deployed in flood-hit villages to ensure timely completion of the evaluation process.
S. Mundian informed that a total of 2,167 Patwaris have been deployed in flood-affected areas of the state for the special Girdawari. District-wise deployment includes: 196 in Amritsar, 115 in Barnala, 21 in Bathinda, 15 in Faridkot, 110 in Fazilka, 113 in Ferozepur, 343 in Gurdaspur, 291 in Hoshiarpur, 84 in Jalandhar, 149 in Kapurthala, 60 in Ludhiana, 7 in Malerkotla, 95 in Mansa, 29 in Moga, 88 in Pathankot, 141 in Patiala, 92 in Rupnagar, 107 in Sangrur, 15 in SAS Nagar, 25 in Sri Muktsar Sahib, and 71 in Tarn Taran district.
He said that the teams deployed for the special Girdawari will visit villages, inspect fields, and prepare reports on crop and house damage as well as livestock losses.
Reiterating the Chief Minister’s announcement of the highest-ever compensation package in Punjab’s history, the Cabinet Minister said that farmers and residents will be given one week to raise any objections, if any, so that timely corrections can be made without delay. He further stated that farmers will receive ₹20,000 per acre for crop loss, families whose houses have been destroyed will receive ₹1, 20,000, and partially damaged houses will get ₹40,000. Similarly, livestock losses will also be compensated as per norms, with ₹37,500 for cows or buffaloes and ₹4,000 for goats.
He said that as per the latest flood report, about 1,98,525 hectares of crop area has been affected across Punjab, including 40,169 hectares in Gurdaspur, 17,690 in Patiala, 12,828 in Tarn Taran, 25,182 in Fazilka, 17,257 in Ferozepur, 17,574 in Kapurthala, 6,560 in Sangrur, 8,322 in Hoshiarpur, 27,154 in Amritsar, 4,800 in Jalandhar, 1,135 in Rupnagar, 189 in Ludhiana, 586.79 in Bathinda, 2,000 in SAS Nagar, 188 in SBS Nagar, 2,442 in Pathankot, 12,207.38 in Mansa, and 2,240 hectares in Moga.
He added that according to the report, one more death occurred in Moga district in the last 24 hours, taking the total death toll in the state to 56 so far.
The Revenue Minister further said that the Mann government is committed to distributing compensation cheques to affected people within 45 days. He added that in villages where crops have been completely destroyed, the process will be completed within just one month to provide immediate relief. Moreover, compensation for damage to houses and livestock will begin from September 15 so that the entire process can be completed within the stipulated timeframe.
