Chandigarh 22 Aug 2025 : Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the Punjab government has decided to promote horticulture and bring crop diversification by planting fruit orchards on village panchayat lands. For this purpose, Horticulture, Defence Services Welfare & Freedom Fighters Minister Mohinder Bhagat and Rural Development & Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Saund jointly launched the campaign “Apna Pind – Apna Bagh” in Chandigarh today. This initiative is being run with the joint efforts of the Horticulture Department and the Rural Development & Panchayat Department.
Launching the campaign, Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat said that CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s vision is to make Punjab vibrant and green. He stated that under this project, the orchards will be maintained for the first three years under MGNREGA, which will also provide more employment opportunities to labourers working under the scheme. After three years, these orchards will be handed over to panchayats, and the income generated will go to the respective panchayat for village development. He also highlighted that fruit processing from these orchards will boost the income of self-help groups.
The minister informed that in the first phase, orchards will be planted on 65 acres of panchayat land across 9 districts of the state. These include: 5 acres in Gurdaspur, 22 acres in Hoshiarpur, 2.5 acres in Jalandhar, 5 acres in Ludhiana, 15 acres in Pathankot, 2 acres in Amritsar, 4 acres in Kapurthala, 6 acres in Bathinda, and 4 acres in Malerkotla. On this occasion, Minister Mohinder Bhagat also released a booklet and encouraged panchayats to pass resolutions and contact the government to set up orchards on their panchayat lands.
Rural Development & Panchayat Minister Tarunpreet Singh Saund said that earlier, canal water was not being fully utilized, but under CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership, the Water Resources Department is ensuring its use for irrigation. He said this initiative will not only encourage horticulture in villages but also help conserve groundwater. He further added that the project will contribute to reducing global warming. Minister Saund appealed to the panchayats to come forward and collaborate with the government to plant fruit orchards on village lands, thereby strengthening rural economies and making the state greener.
On this occasion, Rural Development & Panchayat Secretary Ajit Balaji Joshi, Agriculture Commissioner Babita, Horticulture Director Shailinder Kaur, Rural Development & Panchayat Director Uma Shankar Gupta, Joint Development Commissioner-cum-Commissioner MGNREGA Dr. Shaina Aggarwal, Chief Land Reformer Mohinder Singh Saini, and other officials were also present.
Summary:
The Punjab Government has introduced a new initiative for village development, beginning with implementation across 9 districts, aiming to improve rural infrastructure, welfare, and governance efficiency.