Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today said that the present farm crisis, if un-attended forthwith could turn out to be a grave issue having serious implications likely to cause social turmoil and law & order problem in the country.
Showing deep concern over the plight of the Punjab farmers, Mr. Badal in his address on the Golden Jubilee Convocation here at PAU presided by the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, said that they were totally demoralized due to heavy debt to the tune of Rs.35000 crore. He said that agriculture was a no longer a remunerative profession as it faced the crisis of slow growth, declining farm income and the dwindling the resources, as many small and marginal farmers had already left agriculture and their number gradually declined from 5 to 3 lakh. Mr. Badal pointed out that now the fate of farmers was in the hands of Government of India as all the powers like fixing cost of agricultural inputs i.e. fertilizers, pesticides, diesel etc. and even the Minimum Support Price (MSP) was solely vested in it and states had hardly any say in these crucial decisions. He said that the farmers were totally demoralized as there was no encouragement to them from the Centre, except the power subsidy of nearly Rs.6000 crore being provided by the state government. "Even, then we are subjected to sharp criticism from all quarters for giving free electricity to the farmers whereas it is an acknowledged fact that the major countries like USA, Australia heavily subsidized on the agriculture to encourage the farmers", asserted Mr. Badal. He also impressed upon the GoI to provide adequate subsidy to the farmers to boost their morale and enhance farm productivity.
The Chief Minister lamented that the Centre has paid no heed to our repeated requests to grant package for recent drought like conditions in the state, despite this natural calamity our hard working farmers produced record yield in paddy even the heaviest shortfall in rains about 42 percent across the state. He said even a group of ministers led by the Union Agriculture Minister Mr. Sharad Pawar visited the Punjab and promised a package but it never came. On the issue of promoting farm persification in the state, the Chief Minister urged Dr. Manmohan Singh to immediately set up a a technology mission for 'persification of Agriculture with an allocation of Rs.5000 crore "persification Mission for the Green Revolution States" in Northern India on the lines of Rs.4000 crore already sanctioned under 'Bringing Green Revolution to Eastern India'.
Lauding the enormous contribution of Punjab farmers in making our country not only self-reliant but surplus in food production, Mr. Badal recalled those unfortunate days when India faced acute shortage of food grains and was bagging from other countries. At that crucial juncture only the Punjabi farmers accepted the challenge to ensure country's food security. He however, said that this all had been achieved at a huge sacrifice of our natural assets land fertility and water in the national interest. Mr. Badal said that now it was a pay back time for Centre to acknowledge the services rendered by our farmers by giving them their share overdue since long.
Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister for sanctioning Borlaug Institute and the Directorate of Maize Research (DMR) to Punjab, Mr. Badal demanded a Center of Excellence for Research in Soyabean to be set up in the state to boost farm persification in the big way. Besides, he also requested the Prime Minister to sanction another Center of Excellence for Research Fisheries in the state as fisheries had a vast scope to give a fillip to the allied farming in the state. Mr. Badal apprised the Prime Minister that the Punjab government had already hiked the state's contribution from Rs.103 crore to 270 crore approximately to the Punjab Agricultural University – the mother of the Green Revolution. He however, urged Dr. Singh that the Central government should also to provide liberal annual grant of Rs.100 crore for the university to intensify research in modern farm practices. Apart from this the Chief Minister also congratulated the Dr. Singh for being honored with Doctor of Science (Honoris Causa). Earlier, the Chief Minister was awarded the Doctor of Science D.Sc (Honoris Causa) degree by the Punjab Governor and Chancellor of the University Mr. Shiv R. Patil alongwith three other recipients including the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, Dr. Jaswant Singh Kanwar and Dr. RS Paroda both eminent farm scientists and researchers.
In his convocation address Punjab Governor and Chancellor of PAU, Mr Shivraj V. Patil,said that the Prime Minister has done his best to strengthen the economy of the country, and to see that the production in all fields, including agriculture, is increased.The Governor said that, Dr. Prakash Singh Badal, the Chief Minister of Punjab, a senior politician of the country who could contribute towards the creation of harmony in the state of Punjab and its society, who could contribute towards the development of agriculture, by encouraging the farmers to use the land, the water, new varieties of seeds, fertilizers, insecticides and new knowledge, was the second honorable recipient of the doctorate. He said the Prime Minister and the Punjab Chief Minister have enhanced the prestige of the degrees and deserved all appreciation. Punjab Governor said the land was limited and the water was not unlimited. But the knowledge was limitless which could help in all areas of human activities. He said, new sciences and technologies have appeared at the horizon of cosmos of knowledge. Genetic, electronic nano-sciences and technologies, ocean and space sciences and technologies, the communication science and technologies could help human beings to use the natural resources in the best possible manner. He said Educational institutions, universities, and national laboratories could play a significant role in discovering new knowledge, new sciences, and new technologies. While the knowledge acquired in the past should be protected, preserved and used, the new knowledge only can help it to do more effective and relevant in future. "Let us hope that this university would traverse in this direction and remain as it has been up to this time. Nothing is as effective and powerful as knowledge can be. So, all policies and efforts should be put in the exercise of acquiring it, separately and also in a co-operative manner, by the governments, enterprises and inpiduals", said Mr. Patil.The Punjab Governor further said that research and development should be given more importance, funds and all other things needed for its sources. He said the new knowledge and technologies discovered and developed should reach the farmers and other users. Extension was something which needed more attention and facilities. It can be done in a better manner by using the print and electronic media and adopting new methods of communication. He said existing channels could be hired and used. Transponders on the satellite can be dedicated for this activity. He said in future dedicated satellites can be launched and provided to take knowledge to the students, farmers, inpidualists and other users also. Congratulating all those who have been connected to the activities of the university in the last fifty years and wishing all the best in the years to come, Mr Patil said that the Golden jubilee gives the University, occasion to take stock of what it has done in the past, and to plan and decide as to what it would do in the next fifty years.
The Chancellor further said that Dr. R.S. Paroda, former Secretary, DARE and Director General, ICAR, Dr. J.S. Kanwar, Former Deputy Director General, ICRISAT, Hyderabad, are the well known scientists, administrators and experts, who have added to the fund of new knowledge and provided new norms for better administration and cooperation between the farmers, the scientists, industrialists and governments. He said the university has conferred the doctorates on them, to indicate that their talents and knowledge is respected by it.Union Minister of Information & Broadcasting Mr. Manish Tiwari and Vice Chancellor PAU Dr. Baldev Singh Dhillon was also present on the occasion.