RIL, Punjab govt to sign MoU on Farm-to-Fork project tomorrow

Chandigarh, July 31 (UNI) The Punjab government will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) here tomorrow for the prestigious multi-crore Farm-to-Fork project, to boost agriculture.

Under this project, RIL will establish 352 hubs in the state which would provide the farmers with inputs such as quality seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, weedicides as well as hi-tech facilities.

Seven of these hubs to be located in Ropar district will commence functioning before the end of this year.

The objective aim of this project is to break the wheat-paddy cycle and diversify to other crops including fruits and vegeatbles.

The project is also expected to give a boost to the sagging agricultural economy of the state and help the debt - ridden farming community.

The signing of the agreement between RIL and the state government was delayed as there were a few contemptuous issues that needed to be sorted out. The first issue involved the sale of land and it was agreed that the government would provide land to RIL at subsidised rates and not at the market price.

In the last Cabinet meeting, the RIL agenda was cleared and a clause was added that the company will not be able to sell the land it acquired for the project. The Punjab government has made it clear that the company would only do the business for which it had been allotted the land and if RIL abandons the project, the land will go back to the government department, from whom it was acquired.

RIL had also sought permission to sell the acquired land before 2012 with government permission and after that without it. However, the state government did not agree to this demand of the company.

Financial Commissioner, Development, G S Cheema will sign the MoU on the government's behalf, while a senior RIL offical will sign on behalf of the company.

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