Punjab draft agriculture policy faces opposition

Farmer’s unions and civil society organizations rejected the draft Agriculture Policy of Punjab. The members of the associations termed the draft as an undemocratic,capitalist minded and anti-farmer document. Though the participants also welcomed the initiative to make a state agriculture policy for Punjab,they were suspicious about the real motive of the proposed draft.

A committee headed by G S Kalkat has prepared the draft Agriculture Policy. It was resolved in the discussion that the policy needs to be rejected. It was stated that the way the draft policy was prepared is highly objectionable.

The participants expressed their reservation about the non-representation of farmers,ecologists and public health experts in the drafting process.

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It was unanimously decided to prepare an alternative draft of state agriculture policy for Punjab. It is also decided that there should be wider public consultations and discussions at the grassroot level to prepare this alternative draft.

In the keynote address,Dr Om Prakash Rupela,national consultant of World Bank on agriculture, said the agriculture crisis in Punjab is of a serious nature and will need bold and extraordinary steps as the solution.