Punjab CM honors 55 recipients with NABARD Partnership in Excellence Awards

Chandigarh, July 13, 2014: Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday asked the NABARD to evolve a special scheme for setting up Skill development centers in the villages across the state to equip our unemployed youth with latest self employment oriented skilled training, so that they could earn their livelihood on one hand and wean away from the menace of drugs on the other.

 Addressing the gathering on the 33rd foundation day of NABARD here today, the Chief Minister said that it was practically not feasible to absorb the entire youth in services sector especially in the government due to limited job opportunities and higher merit, thus the only alternative left with the state government was to impart skill development training to the youth to enable them to stand on their feet. He impressed upon the NABARD to work out modalities in this regard with prior consultation with the state government for effective implementation of the scheme.

 Seeking wholehearted support and cooperation from the NABARD and its partner nationalized and cooperative banks to fund the state government's missionary program of setting up Rehabilitation centers for the drug addicts, the Chief Minister asked them to contribute generously under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) towards this noble cause. Expressing gratitude to the NABARD for its fulsome support for ensuring overall development of the state and prosperity of its people especially in the Rural sector through its flagship programs and schemes, Badal emphasized the need for allowing more funding on the projects aimed at promoting agriculture diversification through allied activities like Fishery, Dairying, Apiary, Horticulture besides rearing of ruminants.

 The Chief Minister lauded the enormous contribution made by NABARD in the rural and agriculture development of the state adding that still lot more was to be done particularly for improving the economic lot of majority of unprivileged sections of the society residing in villages as they were grappling with penury and living in extreme pathetic conditions without basics civic amenities, education and healthcare facilities. In this context Badal urged the NABARD to reorient its policies and programs to uplift these people who were unable to get two meals square a day.      

Earlier, the Chief General Manager of NABARD Naresh Gupta in his welcome address briefly outlined the schemes under RIDF, where Punjab had done exceptionally well and made remarkable progress especially in water supply and sanitation, irrigation, Dairy and Fisheries. He assured the Chief Minister that NABARD was ever ready to fund state's rural development oriented programs in view of its track of excellence in implementing schemes adding he said that the agency was even ready to relax its norms for the inclusion of those schemes meant to boost its rural and agrarian economy.

On the occasion, Chief Minister also honored 55 recipients from banks, self help groups and senior of state government with NABARD Partnership in Excellence Awards for their outstanding contribution in the implementation of its schemes. Badal also launched an interactive website of Central Cooperative bank Hoshiarpur besides launching a special Diary scheme in three districts of Jalandhar, Amritsar and Hoshiarpuir to give impetus to the Dairying sector.

The Chief Minister was accompanied by Chief SecretarySarvesh Kaushal and Financial Commissioner Development (FCD) Suresh Kumar.