Chandigarh: A four-day special session of the Punjab Legislative Assembly commenced today with flood recovery and relief measures dominating the agenda, as the state continues to grapple with the aftermath of its most severe floods since 1987.
The session, scheduled from September 26 to 29, has been convened exclusively to deliberate on the scale of the flood disaster and the government’s rehabilitation roadmap. As per official figures, over 2,565 villages across 23 districts have been affected, impacting nearly 3.9 lakh people. So far, 57 lives have been lost, with four individuals still unaccounted for, and over 23,000 people have been rescued.
In a mark of solemnity, the Assembly opened at 11 a.m. with tributes to nine prominent individuals, including martyrs, political figures, and cultural icons. Among those honoured were former minister Harmel Singh Tohra, former MLA Raghubir Singh, and Lt Col Bhanu Pratap Singh Mankotia, along with other brave soldiers and public personalities such as popular actor-comedian Jaswinder Bhalla and music composer Charanjit Singh Ahuja.
Unlike regular sessions, this special sitting will not include a question hour. However, zero hour will allow legislators to raise constituency-specific issues and local concerns. The Assembly will also see the presentation of twelve reports, with the highlight being a comprehensive debate on post-flood relief, compensation, and infrastructure rehabilitation.
The scale of devastation has drawn sharp criticism from the opposition, which is preparing to challenge the government on multiple fronts—including allegations of administrative lapses during the crisis, slow aid distribution, and lack of central recognition of the disaster. Although the Punjab government has officially declared the state flood-affected, the central government has yet to issue a similar notification, a point likely to be a flashpoint in upcoming discussions.
Observers expect tense exchanges between treasury and opposition benches, as questions over accountability, law and order, and disaster preparedness are expected to surface over the next three days.
As the Assembly proceeds with its special session, all eyes are on how effectively the House will address not only the immediate humanitarian concerns but also long-term recovery and prevention strategies to mitigate future disasters of such magnitude.
