Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday unveiled a scheme to use several acres of waterlogged land in the Malwa belt optimally,by constructing ponds for fisheries under the Programme for Rehabilitation of the Water logged areas. Presiding over a high-level meeting here,Badal while emphasising the need for bailing out the farmers through crop diversification,said special attention needs to paid for helping the farmers of the waterlogged areas,who were battling with the natural tragedy from years. Underscoring the need for extending a helping hand to such farmers,Badal said the departments of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries,with the active help of Guru Angad Dev Veterinary Animal Science University,must implement this programme with the support of farmers. The departments,along with the university,must motivate farmers to set up fish farms in waterlogged areas so that fish farming could be successfully implemented there, he said while sanctioning Rs 2 crore for initiating this project. Badal also gave a nod for setting up two ultra modern goat breeding centres in the state. He constituted a committee to prepare a blueprint regarding the project and asked it to submit its report within a month.
