Ludhiana: PAU executive panel discusses work to be undertaken at adopted villages

Under the University Social Responsibility Scheme (USRS), which requires every university to adopt a minimum of five villages in its vicinity, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has selected five villages in Ludhiana to develop as smart villages with proper socio-economic amenities and focus on human resource development

Under the University Social Responsibility Scheme (USRS), which requires every university to adopt a minimum of five villages in its vicinity, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) has selected five villages in Ludhiana to develop as smart villages with proper socio-economic amenities and focus on human resource development.

To oversee the execution and monitoring of the different works related to the USR Scheme, the executive committee held its first meeting at PAU on Monday.

The chosen villages are Diwala and Bhagwanpura villages in Samrala; Rampur in Doraha; and Abbuwal and Boparai Kalan in Sudhar,

To oversee the execution and monitoring of the different works related to the USR Scheme, the executive committee held its first meeting at PAU today.

Satbir Singh Gosal, vice-chancellor of the agri varsity, chaired the meeting that was attended by Ashok Kumar, director of extension education; Ajmer Singh Dhatt, director of research; GPS Sodhi, additional director of extension education; and TS Riar, additional director of communication.

Sodhi gave an overview of the work done in the selected smart villages. He shared that a baseline village survey has been conducted and PAU has identified the essential work to be done in these villages in collaboration with the respective gram panchayats.

Meena Singh, chairperson, Learn and Uplift Foundation, a Canadian registered charity, shared the work done by their organisation and promised to facilitate the development of smart villages. Rupinderjit Kaur, district development and panchayat officer, said that the district authorities will offer full support to PAU for the development of these five selected villages into smart villages.

Riar said that PAU will undertake farm related activities and take help from line departments to improve the basic amenities of the village residents.

Gosal highlighted that the main aim of PAU in USR scheme is to make these villages “areas of excellence” by increasing the overall standard of living and quality of life by human resource development with the help of the district administration. He said that PAU is working on sustainable development goals of ending poverty and other deprivations by improving health and education, reducing inequality and spurring economic growth.