Rana Gurjeet, Rana Inder Partap term Punjab floods a manmade disaster, demand Rs 70,000 per acre compensation
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, September 10, 2025: Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh and Sultanpur Lodhi MLA Rana Inder Partap Singh today described the recent Punjab floods as a manmade disaster, holding both the state government and the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) accountable for administrative failures and erratic water release patterns.
The legislators demanded ₹70,000 per acre compensation for all affected farmers—without the 5-acre cap imposed by the AAP government—and urged a comprehensive relief package covering not just crops but also losses to cottage industries, infrastructure, livestock, and rural households.
Pointing to irregular water releases from Bhakra, Pong, and Ranjit Sagar dams, Rana Inder Partap Singh said, “Monthly discharge charts show the flooding was a result of unplanned and erratic water releases, with flows spiking and dropping within hours.”
The MLAs estimated damages to over 5 lakh acres of paddy and stressed immediate relief for both farmers and khet mazdoors. They also called for:
- ₹50 lakh per acre compensation to relocate families from flood-prone areas along the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi.
- Construction of embankments at vulnerable points to prevent recurrent breaches.
- A team of engineers to design a system to recharge Punjab’s fast-depleting groundwater reserves using surplus floodwater.
Rana Gurjeet Singh noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already announced relief during his Punjab visit, and expressed hope that further funds would follow as assured by the Governor.
“Punjab’s rural life has been devastated—crops, homes, livestock, and livelihoods swept away. Compensation must go beyond token relief; it must rebuild lives,” the MLAs said, urging the Centre to hand operational control of BBMB’s irrigation wing to Punjab’s engineers for more region-specific management.