Strengthen agriculture for country's fiscal health: Parkash Singh Badal

MUKTSAR: 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.

All these steps are aimed at providing world class facilities to the cattle owners, he added.