NITI Aayog promises fillip to Punjab agriculture economy

Ruchika M Khanna

Tribune New Service

Chandigarh, September 2

The NITI Aayog will help Punjab take its agriculture to the next level from a wheat-paddy monoculture. This will help the farmers raise their incomes by diversifying the state’s agriculture to include cultivation of cash crops and go in for allied agriculture activities.

The country’s premier public policy planning think-tank will also be helping the state to better utilise the funds that come under various Centrally-sponsored schemes for agriculture. In the past couple of years, Punjab has failed to utilise the Central funds under schemes like Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana and eNAM.

Prof Ramesh Chand, member, NITI Aayog, said they would help Punjab achieve its goals of crop diversification, besides helping in implementing the Central schemes for farmers’ welfare. He was in the town to meet Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal. “We have agreed to work together to achieve the goals set by the Punjab Government for uplifting the rural economy. Other than agriculture, we also held a discussion on improving rural infrastructure and help in creating a vibrant and prosperous rural community,” he said.

Official sources said both Chand and Dhaliwal agreed on the need to better utilise the resources offered by the Centre for agriculture and rural development, by ensuring that the state offers its share of the grant for the Central schemes.

Dhaliwal told The Tribune that they were told of 120-odd Central schemes that could benefit Punjab.

“The previous governments have done nothing to make use of resources offered by Centre under the federal structure. We have been assured of all possible help by the NITI Aayog in turning around Punjab’s rural economy. I am confident of this initiative yielding desired results,” he said.

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