With the personal endeavor of the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal the Jiangsu province of China has principally agreed to initiate ‘Twin Province’ project with the state for promoting fresh water fisheries in the state as a part of state government’s crop persification program.The Chief Minister who called on Governor of Jiangsu province Mr. Li Xueyong at theGovernment Provincial Hall recalled the age old relations between India and China, in every field.He apprised the Governor that Punjab was a very progressive state where there was a lot of scope of fish farming as the land use was almost like Jiangsu province. Throwing light on the state government’s ambitious crop persification program, Mr. Badal said that the state government wants to develop fresh water fisheries to bail out its farmers from the prevailing agrarian crisis.
The Chief Minister apprised Mr. Xueyong that currently the production of fish in Punjab was six tons per hectare whereas the state government aspires to the double this production in the coming three years. Likewise, he said that the state government also wants to double the area under fishery from the currently 14400 hectares in the same time period. Mr. Badal said that at present there were 21 hatcheries in the state with fry production of 222 million which could be increased up to 900 million in the coming three years.
Soliciting the help of the Government of Jiangsu province for promoting fish farming through the ‘Twin Province project’, the Chief Minister said that present production from fish reservoirs was 100-150 kilograms per hectare which was very low but could be enhanced by four folds, with the expertise from Jiangsu province. He urged Mr. Xueyong to send their experts to Punjab so as to update the Punjabi farmers about their latest technology. Mr. Badal also urged the Governor to ensure strategic tie up between the institutions of the both the state so that Punjab could be immensely benefitted from it.
Responding to the issues raised by the Chief Minister, Mr. Xueyong assured fulsome support and cooperation to Punjab in every way. The Governor said that he was confident that under the able leadership of Mr. Badal there were huge possibilities ahead for both the states. He asked Director General Jiangsu Oceanic and Fishery Bureau Mr Tang Jianming and President Jiangsu Academy of Agri Sciences Mr Yi Zhongyi to personally ensure that both the states could forge an alliance in this regard. He also assured Mr. Badal that he would surely visit Punjab once interdepartmental confidence has been established for the twin provinces projects.Earlier the Chief Minister was accorded a warm welcome on reaching the Jiangsu province.
The delegation of progressive fish farmers led by the Chief Minister included Mr. Gurjatinder Singh Virk from Village Kandola (Roop Nagar), Mr. Manwinder Singh Village Jhurar (Sri Mukatsar Sahib), Mr. Harinderpal Singh Bajwa Village Warring (TarnTaran), Mr. Bir Inder Singh Guron (Samrala), Mr. Khushwant Singh Village Chhangal (Hoshiarpur), Mr. Abhijinder Singh Village Nanokee (Patiala), Mr. Azadwinder Singh Village Kandhola (Roop Nagar) and Mr. Paramjit Singh Bhullar Village Nagra (Sangrur). Apart from these fish farmers, Special Principal Secretary Mr. KJS Cheema, Mr. Raj Kumar, Assistant Director Fisheries, Kapurthala, Dr. KaleKattu Gopalapillai Padma Kumar Fisheries Expert, Dr. Asha Dhawan, Dean College of Fisheries, Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Science University, Ludhiana were also the part of delegation. Prominent amongst others present on the occasion included Secretary General Jiangsu Provincial Government Mr. Zhang Jinghua, Director General Jiangsu Agri committee Mr. Wu Peiliang, Director General Jiangsu oceanic and fishery bureau Mr. Tang Jianming, President Jiangsu Academy of Agri Sciences Mr. Yi Zhongyi and Director General Department of Commerce Mr. Ma Minglong.