Harpal Cheema

Chandigarh (Gurpreet Singh): Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has described the recent floods as the gravest calamity the state has witnessed in the last half-century. Speaking at a press briefing on Wednesday, he said nearly 2,000 villages were affected, impacting more than four lakh people and claiming at least 43 lives across 14 districts. Cheema highlighted that widespread destruction of farmland and homes occurred after swollen rivers changed course, leaving fertile land barren and crops ruined. He said the floods have dealt a severe blow to Punjab’s economy, which contributes almost one-third of the nation’s agricultural output. The Finance…