Varsities must explore ways to make farming profitable: Badal

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today urged the Universities across the state to act as "agents of change" for complete transformation of rural economy by evolving techniques through which the income of the farmers could be supplemented.
Badal said a majority of population in the villages was directly or indirectly dependent on agriculture, besides looking into all the other aspects of development, the universities must explore ways to make agriculture and allied farming sector profitable.
Interacting with the Chancellors/ Vice Chancellors of the varsities, while presiding over a review meeting of Integrated Village development programme here, the Chief Minister said the need of the hour was to give a boost to economic development of every rural household for making a "prosperous and progressive Punjab".

Badal said for that to happen, the universities should play a vanguard role by formulating impact assessment report of villages, with thrust on agriculture and allied farming sector.
The Chief Minister said under the Integrated Village development programme, the state government aims to make the universities a partner in Punjab's rural growth.
He said as per the programme, each university would nurture five villages adopted by it with the support and cooperation of the state government and submit a report regarding the loopholes in the implementation of its schemes and policies, besides suggesting remedial measures.

Badal said the major thrust of the scheme was to improve services under core sectors of Health, education, agriculture and allied farming, water supply and sanitation, sports and skill development & employment.

Satisfied with the preliminary report submitted by the universities regarding the works being done by them in villages adopted by them, the Chief Minister said the beginning was very good and hoped that desired target would be achieved soon.
He said the programme will be reviewed every month.
Badal also appointed Secretary Higher Education Anurag Verma and his Special Principal Secretary K J S Cheema as the nodal officers for the programme.