Over the last forty-eight hours, as the Prime Minister’s visit to Punjab was announced, I was approached by several public figures and political personalities—across parties in Delhi and Punjab—as well as former civil servants and others who have channels within the relevant ministries. They asked what a credible announcement package should look like. I will not disclose names, and I deliberately kept my suggestions out of the public domain; I did not wish to claim authorship or undercut the influence of those better placed to shape decisions.
Now that the visit is over, the substance still matters—but the signal matters even more. This is not about merely stretching the Disaster Management Fund guidelines. The budgetary envelope may be limited; the message must not be. Punjab deserves the empathy of a special case—a visible national embrace that reassures every notified, flood-affected village and family that the country stands with them.
This is relief, not compensation: the loss—physical, financial, economic, and emotional—cannot truly be compensated.
1) Declare a national calamity response and lead it
The starting point must be symbolic and structural. Declaring Punjab’s floods as a calamity of national dimensions would elevate the relief effort beyond mere procedural compliance. It would mean that the Union is not just a funder but a leader in rebuilding, visibly shouldering responsibility for a frontline state. Concrete solidarity can be shown by waiving principal and interest on short-term crop loans in all notified flood-hit villages for the current Kharif 2025 season. At the same time, ensuring that fresh short-term credit for Rabi 2026 carries zero interest would send a message that farmers should restart cultivation without being paralysed by debt.
2) PM-Kisan “shagun” for every affected village
Cash in hand is often the only language of empathy in a crisis. A one-time goodwill transfer of ₹2,100—or even ₹1,100 if fiscal caution dictates—to every PM-Kisan beneficiary in the notified flood-affected villages would be a small but powerful sign of national solidarity. It would not be an entitlement, but a symbolic embrace, one that reassures farmers that they have not been left to fight alone.
3) Parity grant for the landless and SC families
The symbolism of support must not be partial. PM-Kisan excludes landless households, which in Punjab means a very large number of Scheduled Caste families who are among the most vulnerable. A parallel grant to every such household would prevent inequity in relief, and ensure that the poorest sections of rural Punjab are not left without recognition in this time of distress. Relief must be universal within notified villages, or else it risks sowing division.
Karan Bir Singh Sidhu, IAS (Retd.), former Special Chief Secretary, Punjab, writes on the intersection of constitutional probity, due process, and democratic supremacy.
4) A one-time 50% premium over NDRF norms
The standard norms of the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) cannot capture the scale of Punjab’s losses. Crops, livestock, homes, and even lives lost need to be recognised with a one-time enhancement of 50% or more over existing norms. This is not generosity, but fairness—an acknowledgement that Punjab, with its record of service to the nation in food security and defence, merits a response above the routine.
5) Fast-track NDRF/SDRF funds with same-day DBT
Timeliness is as important as quantum. A bold commitment to release the Centre’s share of funds within 72 hours, followed by same-day Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) into the accounts of verified households, would ensure that relief reaches families before they are forced into distress borrowing. Verification through Gram Sabhas, coupled with direct transfers, would combine accountability with speed.
6) Special Border District “Build Back Better” package
The border districts—Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, and Fazilka—have special vulnerabilities. Embankments, distributaries, culverts, and border roads are both economic lifelines and strategic infrastructure. Rebuilding them to higher design standards, not just to pre-flood conditions, would exemplify the principle of “Build Back Better.” The cost may be higher upfront, but it will reduce recurring damage and lower the lifetime cost of public assets.
7) 1:1 Central matching for accredited NGOs
Punjab has a strong tradition of community relief, and voluntary contributions have already poured in. Matching every rupee raised by accredited organisations such as the SGPC, Indian Red Cross, Chief Khalsa Diwan, and other vetted NGOs with a rupee of Central support would double the impact of civil society’s generosity. Making the scheme retrospective would honour donations already made, while audit-light but credible guardrails would preserve speed without compromising accountability.
8) Health, water, and shelter surge
Disasters often trigger secondary crises—outbreaks of disease, unsafe water, or lack of shelter. Funding a surge in public health capacity—through mobile clinics, vaccination drives, safe-water units with real-time monitoring, and temporary shelters—would help ensure that no preventable deaths or outbreaks occur. The aim must be clear and measurable: no family in the flood-affected villages should have to sleep unsafe or drink contaminated water.
9) Agriculture restart and credit relief
Punjab’s farming economy cannot afford a lost season. Providing Rabi starter kits—seeds, fertiliser, diesel support—would help farmers resume cultivation immediately. Free replacement of small implements would restore productivity for marginal farmers. A six-month moratorium, with interest subvention, on Kisan Credit Card (KCC) and small-ticket agricultural and animal-husbandry loans in the notified villages would prevent liquidity shocks from cascading into chronic indebtedness.
10) Transparent, time-bound delivery
Trust is the backbone of any relief effort. Publishing a public dashboard of notified villages and disbursements, committing to 7-day interim assistance and 60-day final settlement targets, running single-window claim camps, and operating a toll-free helpline with escalation would ensure that relief is transparent, predictable, and free of middlemen.
The language—and signal—of solidarity
The Prime Minister’s visit was more than a protocol stop; it was a moment to reaffirm Punjab’s place in the national imagination. Relief is not just about financial allocations, but about the dignity of recognition. Punjab has stood at the nation’s frontline—feeding it through the Green Revolution, guarding its borders with generations of soldiers, and nurturing its economy and culture. This history demands more than routine relief; it demands a message that Punjab is valued and respected in its moment of suffering.
Such a message cannot be conveyed through technical compliance alone. It must be spoken in the language of solidarity—through relief that is swift, inclusive, transparent, and empathetic. When families in Punjab feel that the nation has acknowledged their pain, respected their resilience, and stood with them in rebuilding, it will strengthen the bond between state and Union. This is the moment to transform disaster management into a reaffirmation of trust, and to turn a package of relief into a statement of national unity.
Footnote: What Was Actually Announced after the PM’s Visit
In a review meeting held in Gurdaspur, the Prime Minister announced a special relief package of ₹1,600 crore for Punjab, over and above the ₹12,000 crore already allocated to the state. The package includes ex-gratia payments of ₹2 lakh to the next of kin of those who lost their lives in the floods, and ₹50,000 each to the injured. Additionally, orphaned children will receive comprehensive support under the PM CARES for Children scheme, demonstrating a measure of attention to vulnerable households affected by the crisis. During his visit, the Prime Minister personally met with afflicted families and offered his condolences, signalling a human touch alongside the financial commitments. Press Information Bureau
These measures represent the tangible outcomes of the visit—but they also reflect the limitations of event-driven relief. While significant, the announced package remains framed within narrow categories: fatalities, injuries, and orphaned children. Wider economic distress—crop losses, farmer liquidity, rural infrastructure, and rebuilding to resilient standards—are not directly addressed in the financial allocations. The relief is immediate, but it raises a critical question: does it fully honour the scale, resilience, and long-term needs of Punjab’s flood-affected communities?