The Punjab government today demanded Rs 5,000 crore in 12th Five year Plan for crop diversification in the state and asked the Centre to prepare a roadmap to bring the state out of wheat-paddy cultivation.
“There is a need to immediately launch a technology mission for diversification of agriculture in green revolution areas with an allocation of Rs 5,000 crore for 12th Five Year Plan period, on the pattern of the mission for bringing green revolution to eastern India”, the Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal said while holding a meeting with a Central team led by Union Agriculture Secretary Ashish Bahuguna here to hold talks on crop diversification.
He also urged the Union Agriculture Minister, Sharad Pawar to depute a high-level central team for chalking out an action programme on crop diversification in Punjab.
The Chief Minister also asked him to immediately constitute a joint committee comprising senior officers of the central and state governments for preparing a roadmap for diversification of agriculture in the state.