Face2News/Abohar.

MLA Sandeep Jakhar said that governments in other states have been consulting the scientists of Punjab Agricultural University to finalise the agricultural policy, but the AAP led govt is waiting for the advice of a private player for this. Excluding the subsidy, only Rs 3,000 crore has been earmarked for agriculture in the budget and a meagre amount proposed for crop diversification.

If farmers are not given facilities to adopt other crops that consume less water, then their economic development will continue to be affected.

He said that AAP leaders have targeted previous govts. on the damage caused by the use of substandard pesticides and fertilizers but due to improper arrangements, the samples taken in the past did not fail and no action was taken against the officials responsible for this. Arrangements should be made to test the samples immediately.

Jakhar said that the Punjab govt.was inviting entrepreneurs to set up units under the “Invest Punjab” campaign, but to get electricity connection at the 2-year-old industrial focal point, investors have been running from pillar to post but none was ready to solve this problem. The PSPCL officials explained that some issues were yet to be settled with the Department of Industries.

 Jakhar said that the Punjab govt.was inviting entrepreneurs to set up units under the “Invest Punjab” campaign, but to get electricity connection at the 2-year-old industrial focal point, investors have been running from pillar to post but none was ready to solve this problem. The PSPCL officials explained that some issues were yet to be settled with the Department of Industries.

He said that for the last seven years, the successive govts announced that a cancer hospital will be constructed in Fazilka to provide relief to hundreds of cancer patients who suffered primarily due to supply of dirty canal water and other reasons. The govt. led by Bhagwant Singh Mann has reiterated this but there is a need to complete the hospital building on priority basis.

The MLA said that NABARD had approved Rs 800 crore for agriculture related programmes in Punjab but the state govt has so far finalised projects worth Rs 160 crore. Such lethargy may lead to lapse of the unutilized funds, he warned.