Ludhiana/Chandigarh:, Oct. 15 -- Union agriculture minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday announced that the Centre has released compensation for 36,703 houses damaged in the recent floods in Punjab.

Addressing an event during the inauguration of the newly constructed administrative building at the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)-Indian Institute of Maize Research (IIMR) here, Chouhan said, "The Centre stands firmly with the people of Punjab in their time of need."

The agriculture minister later interacted with maize stakeholders, farmers, beneficiaries of rural development schemes, and members of women Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in Ludhiana. Chouhan said each affected household has been provided Rs.1.2 lakh for repairing...