Weather forces Punjab to shift agriculture summit's events

Inclement weather and cold wave conditions have forced the shift of some events of the four-day Progressive Punjab Agriculture Summit from the Baba Banda Singh Bahadur War Memorial in Chappar Chiri to the newly-set up vegetable and fruit market in Mohali.

The summit, which begins Sunday (Feb 16), will end on Wednesday (Feb 19).

The Punjab government was expecting over 50,000 farmers from the state, nearly 5,000 farmers from other states and experts and industry to related to the field of agriculture to participate in the summit.

"Keeping in view inclement weather and heavy downpour in the city and adjoining areas from last 48 hours, the venue of Kisan Sammelan of the four-day Progressive Punjab Agriculture Summit from Feb 16-19, has been shifted," said a spokesman of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal's office.

Badal, who had been personally supervising all arrangements for the event in the past few days, visited the venue Saturday with senior officers and directed that some events be shifted. He had said that the summit will be the biggest agriculture-related event in the country.

"The chief minister and senior officers visited the site of the function at Chappar Chiri to review the situation on the spot as the venue of Kisan Sammelan was badly submerged in rain water rendering its venue marshy," the spokesman said.

He added that the inaugural event of the summit and technical sessions will be held as per earlier schedule at Chappar Chiri itself.