Strengthen Agri sector for country's fiscal health: Badal

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Centre to strengthen agriculture and its allied sectors for giving a major fillip to overall fiscal health of the country.
Addressing the gathering during the 8th National Livestock Championship and Expo here, he said that the Indian economy was agrarian in nature as over 60 per cent people were directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture.
He said that even most of the industries were dependent on it for raw material and other inputs.
Badal stressed that it was the need of the hour to strengthen agriculture and its allied sectors for making India a prosperous, healthy and advanced nation.

Recalling the role played by Punjab in Green revolution, the Chief Minister said that earlier despite around two per cent area, the farmers of the state have made the country self-reliant in food production by bringing about Green revolution.
He said that now the farmers of state were on threshold of ushering an era of white revolution by contributing a major chunk of milk at national level.

"It is a matter of great pride and satisfaction that despite having two per cent cows/buffaloes our farmers were contributing 10 per cent of total milk production in the country," he noted.
Buoyed over the participation of cattle rearers from across the country, he said that it was an encouraging sign as it would help the state government achieve its target of crop diversification by promoting allied farming activities like dairy, fishery, apiary and others.

It would also play a pivotal role in improving the economic condition of farmers who are facing a huge crisis due to diminishing returns from agriculture, he added.
Reiterating the commitment of state government to bail out farmers of the state, he said that the government was offering huge subsidies to the peasants for encouraging them to adopt allied farming activities.
He further said special thrust has been laid for making the farmers aware about various schemes started by the Punjab government to promote allied farming activities.
"We are duty bound to help our farmers and I am sure that promotion of allied farming activities can transform their destiny by enhancing their income," added Badal.

He also said that the state government was making all out efforts to strengthen the department, for which a drive to fill vacant posts and upgradation of infrastructure in veterinary hospitals has begun.
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After meeting the governor, Badal told the media that his party's fight on the issue of SYL will continue.
Sukhbir said that as a responsible opposition, SAD will offer support to the Congress government on all matters which are in the interests of Punjab.
"I congratulate Captain for the Congress win," he said adding that, "we will introspect why the SAD lost despite doing lot of development works."

The Chief Minister expressed his sincere and deepest gratitude to his Cabinet colleagues, officers, officials and the people of the state for extending full support and cooperation to the incumbent government during its tenure to ensure overall development and prosperity besides maintaining peace and communal harmony at all costs.
The Council of Ministers thanked the people of state for their support and cooperation during the last decade for upholding the ethos of peace and communal harmony besides ensuring all round development of the state.
The Cabinet passed a resolution which read, "The last decade saw Punjab becoming a power surplus state, from a power deficit one thereby relieving the people from power cuts besides developing a world class infrastructure along with international airports and perpetuating the glorious legacy of state through beautification of Sri Amritsar Sahib."

"Punjab emerged as a leading state during the last ten years where free power facility was given to farmers, dalits and weaker sections of society, Atta-Dal scheme for economically poor strata, scholarship schemes for students, free health care facilities and huge monetary relief for cancer victims," the resolution said.
Farmers and poor section was provided exemplary facilities which are not available to them in any part of the country.
New era of congenial relations between Centre and state was started due to which Punjab was immensely benefited by Central relief, it said.
During the last ten years utmost attention was given towards securing the interests of the state.

Despite mounting pressure, nobody was allowed to rob even a single drop of water of the state, the resolution said.
"Even the genesis of SYL canal was decimated by de-notifying the land acquired for this canal and giving it back to the original owners," the resolution said.
Several path breaking initiatives were taken for welfare of urban and rural populace. The state government foiled the plans of divisive forces to ignite communal violence in the state and upheld communal harmony, peace and amity at every cost.
"Even the ugly head of conspiracy hatched from foreign land to disturb hard earned peace of the state was crushed with heavy hand," the resolution said.

The Cabinet also expressed gratitude to the police and civil administrative set-up, all government, semi government and other organisations for their support and cooperation during last decade.
The meeting also prayed to God that Punjab should scale new heights of glory in coming days and may this atmosphere of peace and development carry on in the state.
The meeting reiterates its faith and extends full support and cooperation to the new government for safeguarding the rights and interests of the state.
It also extends best wishes to the new Government and Punjabis.