Punjab Minister Engages in Discussions on National Agricultural Policy Draft
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Chandigarh, Dec 16 (NationPress) Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian on Monday convened discussions with officials concerning the draft of the national policy framework on agricultural marketing and resolved to organize a meeting with farmers and various stakeholders within the week.
Khudian, accompanied by Additional Chief Secretary Anurag Verma, Chairman of Punjab State Farmers’ and Farm Workers’ Commission Sukhpal Singh, and Secretary of the Punjab Mandi Board, Ramvir, instructed department officials to promptly arrange a meeting with farmer representatives, agricultural experts, and other stakeholders to evaluate and consult on the draft policy provided by the Central Government.
He emphasized that the draft policy necessitates comprehensive analysis and stakeholder consultation due to its potential significant impact on the state and its farmers.
The Minister noted that the Agriculture Department has already sent a letter to S.K. Singh, Deputy Agriculture Marketing Adviser and Convener of the Drafting Committee of the Central Government, requesting a minimum of three weeks to submit comments on the draft policy.
Reiterating the commitment of the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led state government to prioritize the welfare of farmers in the state, the Agriculture Minister directed officials to conduct a thorough examination of the draft policy to ensure every point is carefully considered, avoiding any potential adverse effects on the farming community now or in the future.
Furthermore, he instructed the relevant officials to concentrate on critical issues such as minimum support price (MSP) and market fees to enhance the Mandi Board and the agricultural marketing infrastructure in the state, while also ensuring a secure environment to protect farmers’ interests against larger corporate entities.
The high-level meeting was also attended by Director (Agriculture) Jaswant Singh, Head of the Department of Economic and Sociology at Punjab Agricultural University, Jitender Mohan Singh, along with senior officials from the Mandi Board and the Agriculture Department.
