Chandigarh April 25:
In a bid to boost the potato crop in Punjab, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today announced to enhance the subsidy of excavators, bulldozers and planters of 10 percent to 50 percent. A decision to this effect was taken by Badal in a meeting with a delegation of potato farmers in the state, said an official statement.
The Chief Minister informed the delegation that the state government had already initiated the process for the establishment of the Indo-Dutch Potato Seed Centre as a joint venture with the Netherlands. A Dutch team would visit India next month when all modalities would be finalized in consultation with the Centre, Badal said.
Directed the Commissioner of Financial Development to accelerate the process and take the matter with the Centre for early creation of this center. The demand for potato farmers, Badal directed the President, Powercom, to expedite the provision of electricity throughout the potato growing areas of the state to ensure adequate food days time for better performance.