Debate on Punjab Budget: Congress’ Rana Gurjeet questions delay in agri policy

Raising concerns over meagre allocation of ₹15,377-crore for the agriculture sector, the Kapurthala legislator said that though the budget mentions crop diversification, it lacks seriousness to bring change in the state’s cropping pattern

Congress’ Kapurthala MLA Rana Gurjeet Singh on Tuesday asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government to table the agricultural policy.

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann during his address in the state assembly in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

Taking part in the debate on the budget at the Punjab vidhan sabha, Rana Gurjeet said that four years have passed since the AAP government came to power in the state, yet the state’s agriculture policy has not been released.

“Punjab is an agrarian state and needs an agriculture policy to steer the sector, which drives the state’s economy,” the legislator said in the House.

Raising concerns over meagre allocation of ₹15,377-crore for the agriculture sector, Kapurthala legislator said that though the budget mentions crop diversification, it lacks seriousness to bring change in the state’s cropping pattern.

“The state is facing an acute shortage of storage space for wheat and rice. Large quantities of grain from previous seasons are already lying in warehouses. A permanent solution to the storage crisis lies in crop diversification,” he said, adding that the problem will get severe when wheat procurement begins from April 1.

He asked Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, to introduce crop varieties that support diversification while also helping conserve subsoil water.

Taking part in the debate, AAP MLA Budh Ram said that the government has dismantled the drug mafia. “Education and health system has been spruced up, particularly to the benefit of people on the margins. The announcement of ₹1,000 honorarium ( ₹1,500 for SC women) will support the poor households, he said, with another ruling party MLA, Manjit Singh Bilaspur, also sharing similar views.