Reliance to set-up agri-centres in Punjab

Amritsar, Mar 31 (UNI) Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) will enter Punjab soon as the company has agreed to set-up agri centres in the state to provide multi-level extensive services to the farmers of the state.

Reliance will be setting up 50 agri-centers in all the 17 districts of the state to provide extensive services with backup facilities of marketing, technical knowhow, pesticides and fertilisers to the farmers, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh stated at a press conference here today.

In addition, the Bharti Group and ITC were also setting up cold chains to export fresh vegetables and fruits to the foreign countries which would of immense help to the farmers, he said. This would give a boost to the agro-processing industry in Punjab, he added.

Capt Singh said that it was high time to switch over to diversification because the conventional wheat paddy rotation was not remunerative any more. Moreover, 72 per cent of the farming community was having less than four acres land holdings and diversification was the only answer to ensure better returns to such small farmers, he added.

Outlining the overall development and progress in the state, he said that economic stabilisation coupled with the pragmatic policies and programmes of the government had rejuvenated the confidence amongst the investors and entrepreneurs to invest in Punjab that was being viewed as the most preferred investment destination in the world.

Consequently as many as 160 mega projects involving an investment of Rs 60,000 crore were being set up in the state with an employment potential of 10 lac jobs, he claimed. He said that these investments would touch the mark of Rs one lakh crore by the end of December this year thereby generating employment potential of 20 lackh jobs.

Capt Singh also pointed out with diversification and industrialisation, the land prices had shown a phenomenal rise in the state.

Showing deep concern for the development of border areas, he said that the border belts of Amritsar, Gurdaspur and Ferozepur districts had suffered the burnt of Indo-Pak aggression and now deserved special attention. He said that he would soon moot a proposal to the Union Government to set up Special Economic Zones (SEZs) at Gurdaspur and Ferozepur on the pattern of Amritsar to boost trade and economic activities in the region.

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