Chandigarh, May 22 – In a significant step towards agricultural transformation, Justice Nawab Singh, former Judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court and Chairperson of the Supreme Court-appointed High-Powered Committee on Agrarian Reforms, chaired an important meeting of the Committee in Panchkula today. The meeting focused on studying and deliberating upon the best practices adopted by the Government of Kerala to make agriculture a sustainable and profitable enterprise.
The High-Powered Committee was constituted by a Bench of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India to recommend comprehensive reforms in the agrarian sector with the aim of improving farmers’ welfare.
During the meeting, Justice Nawab Singh extended a warm welcome to the visiting delegation from Kerala, including the Minister for Agriculture, Government of Kerala, Shri P. Prasad and senior officers of the Kerala Agriculture Department.
Kerala Agriculture Minister Shri P. Prasad elaborated on Kerala’s strategic approach towards agrarian welfare. He highlighted landmark initiatives including Vegetable and Fruit Promotion Council Keralam (VFPCK) support programmes, Paddy procurement policies ensuring MSP for farmers, Kerala State Farmers Debt Relief Commission – providing relief to debt-burdened farmers, State Crop Insurance Scheme tailored to local conditions, Natural calamity relief mechanisms, Karshaka Pension Scheme to provide social security to aged farmers, and promotion of organic and natural farming. The officers of the Kerala Agriculture Department delivered a comprehensive presentation outlining these and other pioneering efforts that have transformed Kerala’s agricultural landscape.
The discussions centered around key issues such as increasing farmers’ income, reducing agrarian distress, and ensuring long-term sustainability of agriculture. The Kerala delegation shared valuable insights into the initiatives that have positively impacted the farming community in their state.
Earlier, Dr. Amit Agrawal, Commissioner and Secretary, Government of Haryana and Member Secretary of the Committee, welcomed the distinguished Members, agriculture scientists, and experts to the meeting.
The vote of thanks was presented by Sh B.S. Sandhu, former Director General of Police, Haryana, and Member of the Committee.
The meeting was also attended by prominent members of the Committee and dignitaries including Sh Raja Shekhar Vundru, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Haryana; Sh Devinder Sharma, noted Agriculture Scientist; Dr. Sukhpal Singh, Chairman, Punjab State Farmers & Farm Workers Commission; Prof. Ranjit Singh Ghuman, Professor of Eminence, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar; Dr. Sriram Venkataraman, Director, Department of Agriculture, Government of Kerala; Sh Swaran Singh Boparai, Former Vice-Chancellor, Punjabi University, Patiala; Col. J.S. Gill and Dr. Vikash Kumar, Professor CRRID.
