After setting up Bureau of Investment Promotion to give fillip to the State’s waning industrial sector, the Punjab Government will soon establish similar office to provide single window system to the State’s farmers for accelerating agriculture growth.
The State Government has decided to set up a ‘Bureau of Agriculture Promotion’. Punjab Bureau of Investment Promotion is an apex body, set up by the State Government, for all industrial issues to provide hassle-free clearances and approvals for setting up of new industries under one roof through ‘single window’ system.
The approval to set up a Bureau on similar lines was given by the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday “to give further fillip to the farming sector”. “This Bureau would provide all facilities to the farmers under a single roof for developing agriculture as a far more remunerative proposition,” said the Government spokesperson.
He said that the Bureau would also act as a catalyst for research and design activities in agriculture besides promoting new farm practices on scientific lines in the state.
In another decision aimed at developing the state as a “hub of litchi cultivation”, the Chief Minister has asked the agriculture department to set up litchi estate at Pathankot.
“Acceding to demand made by a delegation of state’s litchi growers, which called on the Chief Minister a few days back, Badal has said that this estate must be equipped with ultramodern laboratory and state-of-the-art nursery,” he said.
Spokesperson informed that the Chief Minister has asked the department to constitute a “litchi company” for the trading of fruit from the estate besides providing pack house facility to ensure grading and packing of litchis in it.
Chief Minister has also asked the State agriculture department to set up Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) in Pathankot to be manned by the experts of Horticulture.