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Amritsar/Gurdaspur:
Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhanundertook a day-long tour of Punjab’s worst flood-hit districts — Amritsar and Gurdaspur — on Thursday, meeting affected families, inspecting submerged fields, and assuring farmers of all possible assistance from the Centre.

In a symbolic outreach, Chouhan rode a tractor alongside Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar and later waded through knee-deep water in Dharamkot Randhawa village of Gurdaspur to check damaged paddy crops. “The loss is visible. The crop is destroyed, and silt brought by the Ravi river has deposited in fields. This will create a crisis for the next crop as well,” Chouhan remarked after inspecting the inundated farmland.

Earlier in Amritsar, Chouhan confirmed that two central teams are touring Punjab to assess the devastation caused by the floods. “They will submit their report to the Government of India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent me here to take stock of the ground reality and assure Punjabis that the Centre stands with them in this difficult hour,” he said.

Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu, Punjab BJP chief Sunil Jakhar, BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh, and senior leader Subhash Sharma accompanied Chouhan.

Political Undertones

The visit also carried strong political undertones. Punjab is witnessing its worst floods since 1988, and the scale of damage has triggered a political contest over relief. Following Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s extensive tours and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s arrival to oversee relief operations in Mann’s absence due to illness, the BJP aims to emphasise the Centre’s role and its solidarity with farmers.

In a pointed move, Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria submitted a detailed flood report for Amritsar, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran and Ferozepur districts to Chouhan at the Amritsar airport before the latter’s field visits. The report highlighted large-scale damage to crops, homes, infrastructure, and loss of human lives, besides detailing ongoing efforts by the state, the Army, the NDRF, and the local administration.

Punjab Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian and AAP MLA from Ajnala Kuldeep Dhaliwal also met Chouhan. They handed over a memorandum demanding ₹2,000 crore in immediate financial assistance for flood-hit farmers, particularly in Ajnala constituency, one of the worst affected. Release of the state’s pending dues of ₹60,000 crore from the Centre, which they argued is essential for Punjab’s financial survival