Announcing a twin policy to effectively tackle the menace of water logging in the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that on the one hand the state government would initiate a project worth Rs 3277 crore within a month to eliminate the water logging and on the other a major scheme would be embarked to promote fish farming and eucalyptus planting in water logged areas.
Addressing the gathering in various villages during the Sangat Darshan of Lambi assembly segment here today, the Chief Minister said that the water logging has caused extensive damage in various parts of the state due to which the Punjab government has prepared a project worth Rs 3277 crore to tackle this menace adding that this project would be launched within a month to be completed before the next monsoon season. Likewise he said that a major scheme to plant eucalyptus trees in the water logged areas would also be commenced soon. Badal said that the state government would bear the entire expenditure of planting the eucalyptus saplings and maintaining it for a year after which it would be handed over to the farmers.
The Chief Minister said that under this project the farmers would not have to spend even a single penny whereas they would earn huge profits from it. He also suggested the farmers of these areas to adopt fish farming as there was a huge scope for it in this area. Mr. Badal said that the state government was already giving a slew of incentives to encourage fish farming in the area. The Chief Minister also announced to start special Sangat Darshan programs for the youth to facilitate them. He said that Sangat Darshan had ever remained a integral part of his governance as it had virtually brought the government at the doorsteps of the people thereby helping them to solve their long pending problems. Mr. Badal said that democratic practice hardly had any parallel in the world. The Chief Minister said that the state government has started various skill training centers across Punjab so as to facilitate the youth in getting gainfully employed.
Terming the Food Security Act of the centre as a carbon copy of SAD-BJP government’s flagship program, the Atta-Dal scheme, the Chief Minister said that survey was being conducted for providing wheat at Re 1 to all the eligible beneficiaries. He said that currently there were 15 lakh beneficiaries of the Atta-Dal scheme which would be doubled soon. Later replying to a query, while interacting with the media persons, the Chief Minister said that announcement of Congress and Akali Dal (Amritsar) to oppose the visit of Gujarat Chief Minister Mr. Narendra Modi reflected that both these parties were opposed to democracy. He said that all the arrangements for making the rally a huge success have been accomplished. Mr. Badal said that Punjab would be immensely benefitted from the formation of the NDA government at the centre, so the wise voters of the state should bring the NDA to power.
On another query, the Chief Minister said that the basic aim of the Progressive Punjab summit was to boost up more investment in the state adding that the summit would bring a lot of investment in the state. He said that Punjab has been already rated as one of the top three investment destinations by the Reserve Bank of India. Reiterating that the state government would give 50% subsidy to the women dairy farmers for setting up the Dairy units in the state, the Chief Minister said that as the agriculture was no longer a profitable preposition so the farmers must adopt allied farming activities to supplement their income. He also underscored the need for making use of agriculture implement and machinery on custom hire basis from the village based agriculture cooperative societies instead of incurring heavy expenditure on its purchase. Mr. Badal further said that the state government was already granting huge subsidies to the Agriculture Cooperative societies to promote the utilization of latest agriculture equipment at nominal charges amongst the farmers.The Chief Minister was accompanied by his Special Principal Secretary Mr. KJS Cheema.