New scheme for poor students
Chandigarh: Punjab Government was contemplating to provide free higher education to brilliant students of poor families from the State’s villages. The programme, which is under consideration, would be launched in association with some renowned private educational institutions of the State. Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka on Thursday said the Government wanted to provide free of cost best possible higher education to brilliant students belonging to poor families in rural areas. Giving details Maluka said the scheme would soon be initiated in coordination with renowned educational institutions and eminent institutions and academicians would be invited in this regard, he added. The Education Minister said education sector was on the Government’s priority list and the ruling alliance was fully committed in providing quality education to students from downtrodden families.
75 pc subsidy on Maize seeds
Chandigarh: In a bid to encourage crop diversification, Punjab Government on Thursday announced 75 per cent subsidy on maize seeds in 10 districts of the State. Gurbachan Singh Babbehali, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Agriculture, said this subsidy would be provided to the farmers in 10 districts including Barnala, Fathegarh Sahib, Jalandhar, Kapurthla, ludhiana, Moga, Patiala, Ropar, Sangrur And Mohali, which would be further extended to remaining districts in the second phase.
The CPS said Agriculture department was providing 75 per cent subsidy on hybrid seeds of maize P 3396 and TX 369 under PPP mode. He said farmers can get a yield of more than 9 tonnes per hectare. He said the Government has made elaborate arrangements for marketing of the crop and added the Government was being installing maize driers at Saila Khurd in Hoshiarpur district and at Nawan Shahr for the facilitation of farmers. He said that the both driers would become operations soon.