In a groundbreaking move to support Punjab’s flood-ravaged farmers, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia announced on Sunday that the state government will soon allow farmers to extract and sell sand deposited in their fields by devastating floods. The policy, expected to be formalized within days, addresses farmers’ urgent concerns about accumulated silt threatening their ability to sow the upcoming Rabi crop, offering both financial relief and a path to reclaim their land.
Speaking at a press conference in Chandigarh, Sisodia, AAP’s Punjab in-charge, highlighted the unprecedented scale of the crisis, with floods destroying crops across 1.75 lakh hectares and claiming 46 lives. “Farmers have suffered massive losses, but their biggest worry now is the sand clogging their fields, making the next crop impossible,” he said, noting that he discussed the issue with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, currently hospitalized in Mohali. Mann, having received similar feedback during his own visits to flood-hit areas, endorsed a policy shift to permit farmers to mine the sand, a process typically restricted under existing regulations.
“This is a game-changer for farmers. They can remove the sand and sell it, turning a setback into an opportunity,” Sisodia said, assuring that the state government is finalizing the policy, with an announcement expected within 48 hours. The initiative aims to alleviate the financial burden on farmers, whose fields in districts like Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur, Kapurthala, and Ferozepur have been rendered uncultivable by layers of silt from swollen rivers like the Sutlej, Beas, and Ravi.
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Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Punjab on September 9, Sisodia demanded the release of Rs 60,000 crore in pending central funds to support flood relief, echoing Mann’s earlier plea to Modi. “The PM’s visit is welcome, but words aren’t enough. Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited, Home Minister Amit Shah spoke to the CM, yet no concrete action has followed,” Sisodia said, criticizing the Centre’s inaction. He also slammed Chouhan for blaming illegal mining for the floods, calling it a “heartless” deflection from the real suffering of Punjab’s people.
Sisodia highlighted AAP’s hands-on relief efforts, with party leaders, ministers, MLAs, and Delhi legislators distributing food, rations, and essentials across flood-hit areas. He recounted visiting villages in Tarn Taran and Gurdaspur, where farmers expressed fears of permanent land damage due to sand deposits. The new policy, he assured, will empower farmers to restore their fields while generating income, marking a significant step toward recovery in a state reeling from one of its worst flood disasters in decades.
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