Punjab moots special incentive for agro units
Tribune News Service

CHANDIGARH, Dec 2 — The development of Amritsar as a major export centre to Gulf and CIS countries, an Expressway between SAS Nagar and Ludhiana extendable to Bathinda, construction of an international airport along this expressway and relocation of mega industrial estate outside Ludhiana are on the comprehensive list of measures being undertaken by the Punjab Government to develop a strong agro industry in the state.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of Agro Tech'98 at the northern region headquarters of the CII here today, the Punjab Chief Minister, Mr Parkash Singh Badal, said that the Government was thinking of evolving an incentive policy specially for those setting up agro industries in Punjab.

The Punjab Government, he said, was also proposing to develop fast track integrated farm-to-retail cold chain infrastructure. An agro-commodity exchange was also proposed to be set up to provide a forum for exchange of market intelligence and provide business opportunities to promote the sale and purchase of farm goods with emphasis on branded commodities.

The Chief Minister also talked about setting up of an industry renewal fund targeted at the agro-industries and other thrust areas identified under the industrial policy.

Another significant announcement made by the Chief Minister was about the creation of a command area of Greater Mohali integrating elements of ultra-modern infrastructure with specialised industrial and service infrastructure to develop the city as the Service Capital of India. The necessary institutional framework to empower the governance of this area with special economic and administrative autonomy would be notified. The development of a Software Technology Park at Mohali was the first step in that direction. It would incorporate information technology in all areas of governance and offer a user-friendly administration for the development of service industry.

Mr Badal announced that ambitious plans had been drawn for the development of dairy and poultry farming in Punjab. He also talked at length about the huge market for processed cereals - more specifically wheat processed to flour for the mass market.

Mr Vinod Khanna, MP, who is also a member of the committee on rural development, expressed concern at Rs 40,000 crores worth of fruit and vegetables going waste every year. He said the Cold Storage Act had been repealed. He referred to one of the reports which suggested repealing of hundreds of Acts which mostly dealt with food and agro industry.He urged the Punjab Chief Minister to implement an insurance scheme. On the pricing side, he felt that government and industry must work together to ensure that the farmer got the maximum price for his product.

Earlier, Mr Rajan Nanda, Chairman, Agro Tech'98, in his address of welcome said that though liberalisation had unshackled the economy, the agriculture sector had not benefited much from this. India had the potential to be the granary of the world and the CII had submitted a detailed report to the governments of Punjab and Maharashtra on possible role of their respective states in this. He also talked about corporatisation of agriculture, transferring of activities of the FCI and the warehousing corporation to private sector and permitting lease farming.

Mr Rajesh V. Shah, President, CII, spoke at length on the CII's proactive role in trying to integrate industry and agriculture, through development of related products, equipment and technology. He also disclosed the setting up of a national agricultural council under Dr C. Subramaniam and also about the technology development programme under Dr Abdul Kalam.

Mr Arun Bharat Ram, Chairman, CII, NR, thanked the Punjab Chief Minister for setting up of a Rs 1 crore dairy pavilion at Agro Tech and said that the fair expected more than 11,000 persons to visit from outside the region and over a lakh from the region.

Among those present at the inaugural ceremony were Mr P.S. Bhatnagar, Secretary, Ministry of Food processing Industries; Mr Ramesh Vangal, President, Seagram's Asia pacific; Mrs G. Kostwinder, Netherlands Councillor for Agricultural Affairs; Mr Yehoyada Haim, Ambassador of Israel to India; and Mr Albert Elisee Kiemde, Ambassador of Burkina Faso.