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Punjab CM seeks financial support from World Bank to drive growth, improve public services
The chief minister showcased the state’s strong reform agenda, focusing on fiscal prudence, improved governance and enhanced service delivery as a key factor in its quest for financial assistance
Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday solicited support from the World Bank to drive growth, improve public services and enhance the overall quality of life for its citizens.
During a meeting with World Bank country director for India Auguste Tano Kouamé, Mann presented a strong case for financial assistance to the state in agriculture, crop diversification for groundwater conservation and environment, highlighting the state government’s commitment to fiscal and institutional resilience.
The chief minister showcased the state’s strong reform agenda, focusing on fiscal prudence, improved governance and enhanced service delivery as a key factor in its quest for financial assistance, according to an official release.
The chief minister said that proposed financial assistance is expected to support Punjab’s development priorities, including infrastructure development, human resource development and social welfare initiatives.
He said that the environment is the major thrust area of the state government, and it is giving top priority to groundwater conservation, adding that the government is reviving old water resources and trying to provide canal water to maximum part of the irrigation land thereby reducing the consumption of electricity on one hand and checking the depletion of ground water on the other hand.
Mann said that the state has designed a programme for solarisation of agricultural pump sets, adding that it will increase farmers’ income manifold.
“In five years, the state government can rapidly solarize a major part of the agricultural pump sets. It is also mulling to incentivise the farmers to switch out paddy. Rice is not the staple diet of Punjab. There are alternative crops such as pulses, maize and others but there is a need for value addition of these crops to encourage farmers,” Mann added.
Expressing concern over presence of lead and heavy metal presence in ground water, Mann urged the World Bank to launch a project on the lines of one launched in Uttar Pradesh to facilitate the people.
A senior official said that preliminary discussions were held with a World Bank team. “These issues will be taken forward by officials of the agriculture and other related departments once the broad contours of projects related to crop diversification, groundwater conservation and environment are finalised. The World Bank is already working with several other states in some of these areas,” he added.
The official said that no decision was made on the loan amount from the international financial institution.
Giving an affirmative response to the issues raised by the chief minister, Auguste Tano Kouamé said that they are mulling the idea to cooperate in this sector as World Bank already cooperated on a project in Uttar Pradesh.
Batting to regular meetings with the state government, he said that this will streamline major things.
Kouamé, while appreciating the state’s determination to implement transformative reforms, acknowledged its potential for growth and development and expressed their willingness to support its endeavours, recognising the importance of a strong and resilient public financial management framework.
