The Punjab Government approved several projects totaling Rs 430 crore on Monday in order to develop agriculture and allied sectors in the agrarian state.
The Chief Secretary, Ms Vini Mahajan, chaired a state-level sanctioning committee meeting of the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojna (RKVY) scheme, which approved these projects.
Five projects in agriculture, six in horticulture, five in Punjab Agro, two in Markfed, three in dairy development, and nine in Punjab Agriculture University, as well as other projects, were accepted and will be implemented in the state.
The wheat seed replacement, diversification of agriculture, and research project in relation to crops and animals, as well as a plant health clinic, were among the significant projects to come up in the state, according to the Chief Secretary.
She claimed that under the RKVY scheme, which has a 60:40 split, governments have been given the authority to advance agricultural development by preparing initiatives tailored to their needs.
“These projects will not only raise the income of Punjabi farmers, but will also boost the agricultural growth rate in the rural state,” Ms Mahajan said.
According to her, the Government of India has agreed to grant funds to Punjab on a priority basis, in response to the state government's request for an early release of funds to expedite the implementation of these projects.
The Chief Secretary asked the heads of all responsible departments to complete the pending projects from the previous fiscal year on a priority basis and deliver the utilisation certificates as soon as possible so that funding for the new approved projects may be received from the Government of India.
The meeting was also attended by Additional Chief Secretaries Vijay Kumar Janjua (Animal Husbandry), Anirudh Tewari (Development), Principal Secretary Finance KAP Sinha, Financial Commissioner Cooperation K Siva Prasad, Anand Krishan Director RKVY from the Government of India, Punjab Agro MD Manjit Singh Brar, Markfed MD Varun Roojam, Dr.BS Sidhu, Commissioner Agriculture, and Director Agriculture Sukhdev Singh Sidhu.
