Chandigarh, March 21: Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has announced a transition toward Artificial Intelligence-driven farming to address the growing crisis in Punjab’s agricultural sector. Asserting that farming is no longer a profitable proposition for many, the Chief Minister stated on Friday that AI technology is now essential to provide farmers with data-driven insights into crop management and resource preservation.
While addressing a gathering at Punjab Agricultural University, Mann stated that Punjab’s farmers have sacrificed their fertile land and groundwater to make India self-reliant in food. To balance this, he affirmed that the state is now prioritizing high-tech solutions and expanded irrigation. He noted that his administration has successfully restored over 18,000 water channels and cleaned more than 15,000 canals, ensuring that water reaches villages that had been neglected for decades.
The Chief Minister maintained that the government is also working to move away from wheat and paddy monoculture through a massive expansion of horticulture. He declared that a new project supported by international funding will help increase the state’s horticulture footprint by 300% over the next decade. He asserted that these reforms are part of a broader strategy to rebuild the state’s economy through innovation and transparency.
On the political front, the Chief Minister declared that past leadership had neglected the state’s interests for personal gain. He maintained that unlike previous administrators, he has no financial stakes in transport, sand, or liquor businesses. He asserted that the people must remain vigilant against political forces that previously oversaw periods of rising crime and drug issues.
The Chief Minister also defended his administration’s welfare policies, specifically the upcoming direct cash transfers for women. He stated that the ₹9,300 crore allocation for this scheme demonstrates the government’s focus on grassroots support. He concluded by noting that the repair and five-year maintenance of 43,000 km of rural link roads is currently underway to further improve connectivity for the farming community.
