The Cooperation Minister, Punjab, Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa met Union Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Ram Vilas Paswan at New Delhi regarding issues concerning agriculture and farmers of Punjab.In a press communiqué today, an official spokesman said that S. Randhawa called upon the Union Minister Mr. Tomar in the latter’s office at Parliament House and brought up issues with regard to the Cooperative sector institutions of Punjab such as Markfed, Milkfed, Sugarfed besides apprising the Union Minister about farmers’ welfare issues and agricultural scenario in Punjab. The Cooperation Minister brought to the notice of the Union Minister various farmer and agriculture friendly initiatives undertaken by these institutions and demanded a special package for the Rural Cooperative Agricultural Societies of Punjab with special focus on those operating in the border areas. The Cooperation Minister also emphatically put forward the demand for a special package with regard to implementation of the Drip Irrigation System for conserving water besides for Crop Diversification.S. Randhawa also apprised the Union Minister about the various steps being undertaken by the Cooperation Department through Agricultural Cooperative Societies and while demanding cooperation for bailing out State’s farming sector from economic mess, solicited time for a special meeting on the above issues.
The Union Minister said that he would convene such a meeting after the parliamentary session gets over on the 26th of July. The Union Minister further assured S. Randhawa that the issues confronting Punjab’s agricultural sector and farmers welfare would be addressed on priority basis.S. Randhawa also called upon the Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs, Mr. Ram Vilas Paswan at Krishi Bhawan and made a strong case for release of funds through SDF with regard to Modern Sugar Complex at Gurdaspur and Batala, in which apart from Sugar the plants for producing Ethanol, Electricity, C.A.N.G. are being set up. This he entailed would benefit the farmers hailing from the border areas.The Cooperation Minister also emphatically took up the issue of granting speedy SDF loan to Bhogpur Mill as well as the export subsidy and other subsidies to the rest of the Cooperative Sugar Mills situated in the State so as to ensure the sooner release of the pending amount of sugarcane price to the sugarcane growers. The Union Minister Mr. Paswan giving assurance for speedy redressal of the issues above, said that he would extend every possible assistance to the farmers especially those belonging to the border belt.Among others present on the occasion included Devinder Singh, Managing Director, Sugarfed Pb, Mr. Parkash Naiknavare MD, National Federation of Coop Sugar Factories , New Delhi, Mr. Harbaksh Singh GM, Sugarfed, Dr. SP Singh GM Batala Sugar Mill, Mr. Surinderpal GM Gurdaspur Sugar Mill and Mr. Kanwaljit Singh, Deputy Chief Engineer, Sugarfed Punjab.