In a crucial meeting at the Punjab Civil Secretariat, Horticulture Minister Mr Chetan Singh Jauramajra on Wednesday ordered to immediately address the problems faced by kinnow growers in the state. Emphasizing the significance of kinnow production in Punjab’s horticulture sector, the Minister urged prompt resolution of the issues affecting growers.
During the meeting, Minister Jauramajra categorically ordered the Canal Department officials to ensure timely canal water supply for garden irrigation. Stressing environmental responsibility, he called for measures to prevent polluted water discharge into the Sutlej river and Budha Nullah. He ordered the concerned officials to clean canals before February and keeping them operational through March month to meet the peak water demands for gardens.
Apart from this, the minister directed the officials of the department to do away with the condition of obtaining no-objection certificate (NOC) from the mining department for the drains to be built for water stores in the gardens. The officials were also directed to prepare a proposal to extend the services of NREGA workers to the gardens on the lines of Maharashtra.
He ordered that the presence of officials of the Bid Market Committee of Kinnu should be ensured and records of arrival and sale of Kinnu should also be maintained.
Addressing the harvest process, Minister Jauramajra directed officials to propose a harvesting date aligned with optimal kinnow ripening. A notification was ordered to commence kinnow plant activities from January 10.
In a forward-looking initiative, the Minister explored the establishment of a new wax plant in the kinnow belt and encouraged the diversification of horticulture to include fruits beyond kinnow.
The Minister Jauramajra advised Punjab’s potato growers to use prescribed medicines to combat late blight disease. He urged farmers to implement the developmental advisories to alleviate potential challenges faced by farmers, ensuring a smooth agricultural process.
