Chandigarh, September 18 (IANS) In a prominent civil-centered step, the Punjab government on Thursday decided to call a special session of the assembly from 26 to 29 September to provide relief to the flood victims in the state.
In a statement here, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that the special session will focus on introducing many people-oriented amendments for the rules related to the damage caused by floods.
Additionally, he said that new laws related to compensation for flood victims will also be introduced and approved during the session.
Mann highlighted the scale of destruction caused by floods, stating that they were submerged in over 2,300 villages, affecting more than 2 million people, and destroyed crops on five million acres.
Sadly, the Chief Minister said that 56 people were lost and about seven lakh people were rendered homeless.
He further stated that 3,200 government schools were damaged, 19 colleges were reduced into debris, 1,400 clinics and hospitals were ruined, 8,500 km of roads were destroyed, and 2,500 bridges collapsed.
Mann said that according to preliminary estimates, the total amount of damage is around Rs 13,800 crore, although the actual figure could be even higher.
The Chief Minister emphasized that the decisions taken during this special session will provide adequate relief to the flood affected citizens. He reiterated the government’s commitment to support the people of Punjab, especially affected by floods, which were during a serious crisis. Mann said that his government is leaving no stone unturned to ensure relief, rehabilitation and recovery for the affected population.
A day earlier, Mann launched a global funding campaign to raise funds for the government’s rehabilitation efforts for the 2025 flood victims.
In a video message, the Chief Minister said that in the past, the state saw a scene that our generations would never forget. He said that the floods did not just bring water, but washed millions of dreams. However, he said that even during the floods, he saw how the youth put their lives at risk to save others, how gurudwaras and temples opened their doors and served food to the distressed people and how the whole Punjab stood together like a large family, which is the greatest strength.
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GG/VD