Members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Food Processing, led by Lok Sabha MP and former Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi, reached the Golden Temple as part of a multi-day study tour of the northern region.
The committee members paid obeisance at the Golden Temple before proceeding to Ludhiana, where they are scheduled to hold a series of meetings with Punjab Agricultural University officials, experts and stakeholders connected with the agriculture sector.
Speaking to mediapersons, Channi said the committee would also interact with representatives of farmers’ unions and hold detailed discussions with officials of the agriculture and allied departments. He said one of the key issues under review would be stubble burning and the measures required to address the problem in an amicable manner.
“The committee will study how the issue of stubble burning can be resolved without causing hardship to farmers and what assistance can be provided by the government in this regard,” he said.
Channi said the panel would also deliberate on the long-pending demand for a legal guarantee of the Minimum Support Price (MSP). “Our committee has already given recommendations regarding a legal guarantee for MSP. We will further examine the issue and assess the concerns of farmers,” he said.
The former Punjab CM added that the committee would study the likely impact of any trade agreement between India and the United States on Indian agriculture. “We are examining how a trade agreement with the US could affect local farmers and agricultural markets,” he said.
The committee will also review measures to improve the profitability of the dairy sector and explore ways to make milk production more remunerative for farmers. As part of the visit, the committee is scheduled to visit Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), Ludhiana, on June 1.
Responding to a question regarding former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh’s reported remarks on the BJP’s leadership in Punjab, Channi took a swipe at leaders who had left their original political parties. “First they went to the other side. When they are not being cared for there, they begin to feel that their old home was better,” he remarked.
The committee’s study tour, which began after its arrival from Srinagar, will continue till June 4 and will include consultations with central government representatives, state officials, and industry stakeholders on issues related to agricultural development, food processing, and animal husbandry.
