Punjab CM unveils programme for rehabilitation of water logged areas by developing fisheries

Chandigarh, August 27, 2013: The Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today unveiled a massive scheme to put use several acres of water logged land in the Malwa belt optimally, by constructing Ponds for Fisheries under the “Program for Rehabilitation of the Water logged areas”.
Presiding over a high level meeting of the Animal Husbandry and Fishery department here today, the Chief Minister while emphasising the need for bailing out the farmers of the state through crop diversification, said that special attention needs to paid for helping the farmers of the waterlogged areas, who were battling with the natural tragedy from years. Underscoring the need for extending a helping hand to them, Badal said that the departments’ of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries with the active help of the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary Animal Science University must implement this program with the active support of the farmers. He said that these departments along with the University must motivate the farmers to set up fish farms in the waterlogged areas so that fish farming could be successfully implemented there. The Chief Minister also sanctioned an amount of Rs 2 crore for initiating this project.  
Further to encourage the farmers of the state towards allied agricultural activities with twin objective of promoting crop diversification on one hand and supplementing the income of farmers through rearing small ruminants on the other, the Chief Minister also gave nod for setting up two ultra modern Goat Breeding centres in the state. He constituted a committee comprising of VC GADVASU, experts of Veterinary sciences and officials of Animal Husbandry department to prepare a blueprint regarding the project. He asked the committee submit its report within a month so that the work on this project could be started at the earliest.
The Chief Minister said that this centre should be established on scientific lines to impart advanced training to the farmers for goat rearing. Likewise he also laid thrust on processing of Goat’s milk by value addition so that the farmers could supplement their income. He also approved the setting up of Goat Breeding Board comprising of representatives of farmers, officers and national level experts of Goattery, to develop high yielding varieties of Goats in the state.
The Chief Minister also asked the committee to explore the potential of piggery in the state so that it could be encouraged amongst the farmers. Likewise Mr. Badal also gave approval for upgrading and strengthening the existing infra structure in three Government pig breeding centres at Nabha, Ferozepur and Gurdaspur by doubling its existing capacity.      
Later, in a separate meeting, the Chief Minister while interacting with the Bee Keepers from across the state said that the Punjab government was committed to encourage the Bee keeping in Punjab. He announced to enhance the subsidy on Bee keeping boxes from the existing 50% to 75% adding that the Raw Honey and Bee keeping equipments would be exempted from taxes. Badal also said that in order to provide sale outlets to the bee keepers in the state, the Punjab government would provide them booths at the public places under the AATMA Khaat scheme. He also underscored the need for uniform designing these outlets for selling Honey to popularize them as standardised booths.
The Chief Minister also asked the MARKFED authorities to provide market support to the Bee Keepers by purchasing the honey besides making provisions for preserving it. He also asked the MARKFED officers to explore the feasibility of setting up a processing unit of Honey in the state so that avenues of trade could be opened for the Bee Keepers. He also asked the officers of the Taxation, Forest and Irrigation department to refrain unnecessary harassment of the bee keepers on one pretext or other.      
Laying thrust on the need of more Research and Design (R&D) facilities for the processing of Honey, the Chief Minister also asked the Bee Keepers to collectively set up district level processing units of Honey for maximum profits. He also gave nod for starting a mass awareness campaign for apprising the people about the benefits of having Honey in their routine diet.
Prominent amongst those present on the occasion included Cabinet Minister Gulzar Singh Ranike, Financial Commissioner Development Suresh Kumar, Financial Commissioner Animal Husbandry G. Vajralingam, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Gaggandip Singh Brar, Secretary Agriculture Kahan Singh Pannu, MD Markfed Dr. KS Sra, Vice Chancellor PAU Dr BS Dhillon, VC GADVASU Dr VK Taneja and Commissioner Agriculture Dr. Balwinder Singh Sidhu.