Cheema said the government, as a welfare state, has a responsibility to compensate farmers who suffered significant losses due to the floods

Punjab Cabinet Approves Flood Compensation for Farmers on Government Land, Extends OTS Deadline

The Punjab Cabinet on Monday cleared a proposal to grant compensation to farmers cultivating government-owned land who incurred losses during the floods that hit the state in August and September last year.

To assess the damage, three-member committees will be constituted in flood-affected villages of Amritsar, Ferozepur and Fazilka. Each panel will include the area Patwari, Lambardar and Sarpanch, or their representative, to verify the actual cultivator and ensure that compensation reaches the rightful beneficiaries.

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said that farmers were cultivating around 2,800 acres in Amritsar, 5,200 acres in Ferozepur and nearly 3,000 acres in Fazilka. He noted that although the land has been recorded in the government’s name since 1976, farmers had continued to till it. In 2015, revenue records were updated to reflect the state government as the owner.

Cheema said the government, as a welfare state, has a responsibility to compensate farmers who suffered significant losses due to the floods.

The Cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, also approved the extension of the One-Time Settlement (OTS) scheme of the Punjab Small Industries and Export Corporation (PSIEC).

The scheme covers pending dues related to plot allotments and allows restoration of cancelled allotments issued on or before January 1, 2020, after payment under the OTS. The deadline has been extended from March 31 to June 30, 2026.

Source: The Tribune