The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has announced a comprehensive relief package for flood-affected people in Punjab, reserving an initial amount of ₹20 crore for the cause. The decision was taken during an executive committee meeting on Thursday, led by SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami.
In addition to the financial allocation, the SGPC has planned several key measures to aid the recovery process. The committee will provide 8 lakh litres of diesel to farmers, which is crucial for them to level and prepare their fields for the next cultivation cycle. Furthermore, farmers with less than 10 acres of land will receive high-quality wheat seed for free for the upcoming sowing season. Each flood-affected gurdwaras will also be given ₹50,000 in financial assistance.
To help students whose books were destroyed in the floods, the SGPC will provide free textbooks. The committee will also deploy 50 medical vans from Sri Guru Ramdas Medical College to address post-flood health issues and continue to provide langar (community kitchen food) and ration supplies to those in need.
Harjinder Singh Dhami urged the Punjab Government to waive the VAT on diesel for farmers to maximize the benefit of the SGPC’s initiative. He clarified that the relief work is being funded through the Guru’s Golak (the religious treasury) and public contributions, appealing to the sangat (community) for generous support.
The SGPC has already dispatched relief material worth over ₹77 lakh in the initial days of the flood. During the meeting, the association of former SGPC employees also contributed to the cause with a cheque for ₹1.01 lakh. The committee also paid homage to those who lost their lives in the floods and to Baba Baljinder Singh of Rara Sahib, who passed away recently.