Punjab agri univ prepares to utilise Rs 100cr grant

Ludhiana, Dec 17 (UNI) After the Union Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs granted approval early this month for forwarding the special grant of Rs 100 crore to the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), the university called upon its officials to engage themselves in assembling the 'nuts-and-bolts' to put into operation the special grant.

The Vice Chancellor (VC) Dr K S Aulakh of PAU held a high level meeting of Deans and Directors of the university on the utilisation of the money as projected in the blueprint that was forwarded to the Indian Agriculture Researched Institute (ICAR).

''This grant will be utilised in developing new technologies to provide momentum to the productivity of agriculture, enhance input use efficiency and conserve natural resources,'' said Dr Aulakh while chairing a meeting of senior PAU officials here yesterday.

The Union government had in its annual budget-2006-07 decided to give a grant of Rs 100 crore to PAU for research on agriculture and the university had forwared a proposal in mid-2006 to ICAR and after a detailed syudy the Expenditure Finance Committee of the Department of Agriculture, Research and Education (ICAR) had approved the plan utilisation project submitted by PAU.

The Deans and Directors who had prepared the blue print for the utilisation of this money were asked by the VC to expedite the process of implementing the proposed projects. Dr Aulakh informed that as per the central guidelines, any amount of money cannot be used during the 10th Plan, the balance amount will be carried forward to the 11th Plan.

Dr Aulakh hoped that this grant would help the university usher in a second green revolution. He said this money will be used for strengthening and networking of the four constituent colleges, namely, College of Agriculture, College of Agricultural Engineering, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities and College of Home Science, besides the Directorates of Research and Extension Education and on new infrastructure.

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