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CM Bhagwant Mann bats for revival of canal irrigation at first Sarkar-Kisan Milni
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann launches the country’s first government-run online timber trading mobile application “e-timber” app during the event
Striking a chord with farmers from across the state during the first government-farmers (Sarkar-Kisan) interaction (milni) held at Kisan mela ground of Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) the chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann assured the revival of canal water network for irrigation and announced underground piping in the villages across the state to fully utilize the potential of surface water for irrigation.
The chief minister said that the government is also mulling on enhancing the cultivation by optimum utilisation of the canal water and to wrest the depletion of groundwater.
He said that the irrigation network across the state will be further spruced up to benefit the farmers. Bhagwant Mann said that all efforts will be made to ensure that water reaches even the tail-end villages.
Mann also launched the country’s first government-run online timber trading mobile application “e-timber” app during the event. This will help the farmers sell timber online.
The CM said that milni was aimed at organising an interaction to reduce the gap between decision-makers and stakeholders so that policies are designed as per the needs of the farmers.
He said that the milni has provided a platform for the farmers to share their concerns directly with government officials and also seek solutions to their problems from PAU, GADVASU, agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry experts.
“The time has come when the policies will not be made while sitting in air-conditioned (AC) offices rather they would be made while sitting in the village with farmers. I am thankful to the farmers as over 14,000 have managed to reach the venue at a short notice,” said Mann, as he received thunderous applause from the crowd.
The CM encouraged farmers to sow basmati, Mann assured that in case of a fall in prices, the government will take responsibility to manage the crop.
He also assured sugarcane farmers of timely disbursal of their dues and added that the government will take over the operations of sugar mills withholding the payments of sugarcane farmers. He added that the government was working on increasing the area under sugarcane to 2.5 lakh hectares this year.
Before addressing the gathering, CM Mann visited the various pandals- segregated crop-wise to cater to the particular group of farmers- at mela ground to address the issues being faced by the farmers.
Many farmers highlighted the menace of fake pesticide sprays, spurious seeds and stray cattle menace which ruin their crops.
The CM said that the state government is already pursuing the matter of providing minimum support price (MSP) to the farmers on alternative crops with the Union government. Mann said that in a major pro-farmer initiative, no power cut was imposed in the state during the previous paddy season, due to which farmers got an uninterrupted and regular supply of power.
Bhagwant Mann said that the state government is also laying major thrust on the food processing sector, and processing plants for Sugarcane, Letchi, Garlic, Kinnow and other fruits will soon be set up in the state.
Prominent others present on the occasion include cabinet ministers Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, Laljeet Singh Bhullar, Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer, Lal Chand Kataruchak, Brahm Shankar Jimpa, Chetan Singh Jauramajra, Inderbir Singh Nijjar and Harbhajan Singh ETO, MPs Sant Balbir Singh Seechewal and Sanjeev Arora and others.
