The Punjab government today constituted a nine-member Group of Experts, (GoE) headed by the Chairman of the Punjab State Farmers Commission Dr. GS Kalkat to consider and suggest measures required to be taken for amelioration of the economically distressed of the farmers across the state.Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that the Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal gave his nod to constitute this high powered panel of agri-experts besides approving the terms of references, which included to suggest measures required to be taken to ameliorate economic distress and improve financial conditions of the state farmers and to formulate action plan and suggest ways and means to implement the measures to improve the economic conditions of the beleaguered peasantry. The GoE could co-opt any other member as may be required to achieve these objectives.
The other members of the GoE comprised; former Minister of Agriculture, GoI Mr. Sompal Shastri, ex-Principal Plant Breeder and Head of pision of Plant Breeding Genetics and Biochemistry, IRRI Dr.GS Khush, ex-DDG, ICAR New Delhi Dr. KL Chadha, Director, Council of Social Development and ex-Chairman, Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices Dr. T.Haque, VC, Punjab Agriculture University Ludhiana Dr. BS Dhillon, VC GADVASU, Ludhiana Dr.VK Taneja, Dean, College of Basic Sciences & Humanities PAU, Ludhiana Dr.RS Sidhu and Commissioner Agriculture Punjab Dr. Balwinder Singh Sidhu would be its Convener.