Chandigarh, January 8
Under the dynamic leadership of Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann and the sustained efforts of Horticulture Minister Mr Mohinder Bhagat, Punjab has earned national recognition for its robust performance in strengthening agricultural infrastructure. The state has received two prestigious awards for outstanding implementation and effective monitoring of projects under the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) scheme.
Giving more information, Horticulture Minister Mr. Mohinder Bhagat said that the state has been conferred the awards for Best Performing State and Best State Project Monitoring Unit at the AIF Regional Conference, organised by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, in Chandigarh.
Mr. Bhagat further informed that as on December 31, 2025, a total of 31,076 projects have been approved in Punjab under the AIF Scheme, with a cumulative investment of ₹11,270 crore, while loans amounting to ₹7,221 crore have been sanctioned by various lending institutions.
Explaining the benefits of the scheme, the Minister said that the AIF provides 3 percent interest subvention on loans of up to ₹2 crore for a maximum period of 7 years, with the effective lending rate capped at 9 percent.
The awards were presented by Joint Secretary Sh. Anbalagan P (IAS) and Deputy Secretary (AIF) Smt. Rachna Kumar (IAS) of the Government of India. Director Horticulture, Punjab, and State Nodal Officer for the AIF scheme, Smt. Shailender Kaur (IFS), received the award on behalf of the Punjab Government, while Team Leader Ms. Ravdeep Kaur and Consultant Mr. Yuvraj Aulakh received the award on behalf of the State Project Monitoring Unit.
The Minister further said that to facilitate stakeholders, the state Horticulture Department has set up a WhatsApp helpline number 9056092906, through which interested farmers and entrepreneurs can obtain scheme details.
