Punjab seeks World Bank help for agri sector

Chandigarh, May 25 (UNI) The World Bank would send special expert teams to Punjab to study the scope of improvement in the agriculture and education sectors and the kind of assistance the Bank can offer to uplift these two vital sectors.

Mr Rachid Benmesaoud, Operation Advisor, World Bank and his team of advisors had a special meeting with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here today.

Mr Badal sought the World Bank's aid for uplifting the agriculture and education sectors in the state.

During the meeting Mr Benmesaoud informed the Chief Minister that the World Bank was already worried about the stagnating growth of agriculture in Punjab and had already conducted a study on this aspect.

Mr Badal impressed upon the World Bank authorities that the agriculture sector of Punjab needed immediate assistance to launch a comprehensive rehabilitation programme on soil and water resources He said that Punjab , known as 'granary of the country' was facing the problem of depletion of soil nutrients and declining watertable.

Quoting certain studies, the Chief Minister said that if timely measures were not taken to rehabilitate the soil and water resources, Punjab would soon turn into a barren land.

Regarding education Mr Badal said that it was a matter of concern that only four per cent students from rural area from Punjab reach the college level. Seventy per cent of the population was living in rural areas in the state.

Mr Badal emphasised that there was need to provide quality education to the rural students so that they could compete with their urban counterparts. He also sought World Bank's assistance for broadening the scope of vocational education in the schools to make students self-employable.

Mr G V Abhyankar, Ms Isabel Chatterton and a group of advisors from World Bank participated in the discussions.

UNI