Chandigarh, Jun 23 (PTI) Punjab BJP chief Kewal Singh Dhillon on Tuesday wrote to World Bank president Ajay Banga, calling for a transformative role in partnership with the government of India in agricultural diversification financing and rural entrepreneurship ecosystems for the border state.
India’s leadership under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has demonstrated an unparalleled commitment to rural transformation, and a deepened World Bank partnership within that framework would carry enormous reach and credibility, Dhillon wrote.
“Punjab will rise again, and its farmers will be at the centre of that resurgence. I extend this letter as an invitation to engage more deeply with the ground realities of rural Punjab, and I would be honoured to facilitate such an engagement at your convenience,” the Punjab BJP chief said in a statement.
Referring to the World Bank chief’s recent remarks on Punjab’s rural economy, Dhillon said, “Mr Banga has highlighted the economic vulnerability of Punjab’s youth, cautioning that one-time wealth from land sales cannot substitute for sustainable livelihoods and long-term rural transformation.” Dhillon said this assessment reflects ground realities that the BJP Punjab has been consistently raising and that demand serious attention from the state government.
The Punjab BJP chief emphasised that the challenges faced by rural families in the state must not be reduced to narrow stereotypes, but understood in the context of deep economic and social transitions underway in rural society – transitions that require political will and administrative action at the state level.
Punjab has played a historic role in ensuring India’s food security for generations, often at high personal, social, and environmental cost, he said.
Asserting that Punjab’s families are not facing an individual crisis, Dhillion stated that they are navigating a larger economic transition. He pointed out that many rural communities are moving away from traditional agrarian systems without adequate alternative livelihoods, skill development pathways, or financial support mechanisms.
“It is precisely in this context that I would urge you, being a proud Punjabi, Banga, to consider the transformative role the World Bank can play in partnership with the government of India in areas such as agricultural diversification financing, rural entrepreneurship ecosystems, skilling and financial literacy for farming communities, and integrated rural development,” he said.
Expressing confidence in Punjab’s future, Dhillon said the state has the resilience, capability, and human capital to drive its own resurgence. PTI CHS MPL MPL
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