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Ludhiana: PAU to receive ₹40-crore grant by Punjab government to research facilities
Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema also laid the foundation stone for the upcoming Plant Acclimatisation Facility and Gene Bank, two projects worth ₹2 crore; these facilities will provide planting materials to farmers through commercial tissue culture, boosting the state’s farming ecosystem
In a push to strengthen agricultural research and education, Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday announced that Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) will receive a capital grant of ₹40 crore from the state government in the financial year 2025-26. This move comes after the government had provided ₹20 crore to PAU in 2024-25 to improve research facilities and academic infrastructure.
Cheema made this announcement while inaugurating the new Agro Processing Complex at PAU. This facility, built with machines worth ₹46 lakh, is aimed at helping rural youth become entrepreneurs by promoting value-added farming at the village and cluster levels. He also laid the foundation stone for the upcoming Plant Acclimatisation Facility and Gene Bank, two projects worth ₹2 crore. These facilities will provide planting materials to farmers through commercial tissue culture, boosting the state’s farming ecosystem.
During his visit, the finance minister reviewed the several ongoing renovation and infrastructure projects at PAU that are being funded by the ₹20 crore grant provided earlier. These include the installation of a new air-conditioning system at the Dr MS Randhawa Library with an investment of ₹4 crore, along with renovations at the reading and book display areas. Additionally, a new floor is being built at the boys’ hostel at a cost of ₹2.56 crore, while sports facilities are being upgraded with advanced gym equipment and renovations worth ₹1.43 crore. Cheema also inspected the university’s hostels, sports museum, swimming pool, guest houses, and residential areas.
Highlighting future plans, Cheema shared that the university is working towards making Punjab a leader in digital and smart agriculture by using high-performance computing (HPC) and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in farming.
PAU vice-chancellor Satbir Singh Gosal mentioned that the special grants are helping the university in enhancing its research, academics, and physical infrastructure, ultimately benefiting farmers, students, and entrepreneurs.
