The North News
Chandigarh, September 19
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has announced a special four-day session of the state legislative Assembly from September 26 to 29 to address the devastation caused by recent floods. The Chief Minister said the session will focus on amendments to rules on disaster damage and introduce new laws on compensation for affected families. The floods submerged more than 2,300 villages, impacting over two million people and destroying crops on nearly 500,000 acres of farmland.
Chief Minister Mann said 56 people had died, around 700,000 were left homeless and damage was extensive to public infrastructure. This included 3,200 schools, 19 colleges, 1,400 health facilities, 8,500km of roads and 2,500 bridges. The state government has estimated losses at about ₹13,800 crore ($1.65bn), though officials warn the figure could be higher. Mann said the decisions taken during the assembly session would provide “substantial relief” to citizens and reiterated his government’s commitment to rehabilitation and recovery.
