The issue of farmers of Punjab echoed in the Lok Sabha, MP Malvinder Kang made a big demand for a special package from the Centre.

News India Live, Digital Desk:Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Malvinder Singh Kang strongly raised the issue of farmers, agriculture and irrigation of Punjab in the Lok Sabha on Thursday. During the discussion on supplementary grants, Kang made an important demand from the Central Government to issue a special financial package and additional grants to promote ‘Crop Diversification’ in Punjab.

Why is the condition of Punjab, which feeds the country, bad today? Addressing the House, MP Kang reminded that when the country was on the verge of starvation, Punjab had led the Green Revolution and ensured food security of entire India. He said that today the country has surplus reserves of food grains, but Punjab has suffered the most environmental and health-related losses due to this green revolution.

Paddy cultivation and falling groundwater level become a big concern Expressing concern, Kang said that despite being an agricultural state, today Punjab is forced to grow such crops (especially paddy) which are not suitable for the soil and water here. The result is that:

The groundwater level of the state has gone dangerously low.

Along with water crisis, people of Punjab are facing serious health problems like cancer.

Crop diversification is the real solution The MP drew the attention of the House that even today India imports pulses, fruits and vegetables in large quantities from other countries. If the farmers of Punjab get the right help and special packages, then Punjab alone can produce pulses, fruits, dairy products, maize, cotton and sugarcane in abundance, thereby eliminating the country’s dependence on imports.

Praise for ‘canal model’ of Bhagwant Mann government In his address, Malvinder Kang also praised the efforts of the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Presenting the figures, he said that in the previous governments, canal water could reach only 21 percent of the fields, whereas due to the active efforts of the AAP government, today about 78 percent of the fields are being irrigated with canal water. He has appealed to the Center to provide funds to Punjab on priority basis to further strengthen the water distribution and irrigation infrastructure.