New Delhi, Jan 29: Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu on Thursday urged the Union government to establish a Central Horticultural University in Punjab by upgrading the Post Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research and Education (PGIHRE), a centrally funded institute sanctioned a decade ago but yet to take off.
Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Sandhu said the proposed university could transform Punjab’s horticulture sector by enabling international-standard testing laboratories and export certification centers, allowing farmers to access overseas markets directly.
“The establishment of a Central Horticultural University will promote value addition in agriculture and food processing and open doors for agri-entrepreneurship for the youth of Punjab,” Sandhu said. “It will also offer a permanent and modern solution to the overdependence on wheat and paddy.”
The MP said PGIHRE was announced in the Union Budget 2015–16 as part of the Centre’s push to shift Punjab’s farmers toward high-value horticulture. However, he noted that land acquisition hurdles have delayed the project for nearly 10 years.
“It is unfortunate that this gift from the Prime Minister to Punjab has remained on paper for a decade,” Sandhu said. “Despite land being identified by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and a social impact assessment being completed, valuable time has been lost.”
Sandhu said that as India moves toward its goal of becoming a developed nation, outdated plans must be revisited. “In 2026, we must accept that a plan conceived 10 years ago needs renewed urgency to meet today’s challenges,” he added.
Pointing to Punjab’s horticulture potential, the MP said horticulture is practiced on less than 7% of the state’s land but has shown rapid growth. “The value of horticulture produce has risen from Rs 6,267 crore in 2011 to over Rs 26,580 crore today. The farmers are responding positively, and with institutional support, diversification can accelerate,” he said.
Sandhu said the proposed university would align with the Centre’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission. “Punjab’s farmers can play a decisive role in making India self-reliant in horticulture if this institution is established without further delay,” he said.
PGIHRE was planned as a world-class institute with more than 200 scientific positions, aimed at advanced research in fruits, vegetables and horticulture crops, development of improved and seedless varieties, and technology transfer to farmers and agro-industries.
