Chandigarh: BJP national president Nitin Nabin is scheduled to meet noted agricultural economist Dr S.S. Johal in Ludhiana on Monday, marking the beginning of the party’s outreach campaign with eminent personalities in Punjab.
The meeting assumes significance as Dr Johal has long advocated structural reforms in Punjab’s agriculture sector. During the farmers’ agitation against the three farm laws, he had argued that providing a legal guarantee for the procurement of 23 crops would be financially challenging for the government and instead stressed the need for crop diversification.
Dr Johal had also proposed the widely discussed “Johal Plan” aimed at reducing Punjab’s dependence on the wheat-paddy cycle. Under the plan, he recommended shifting nearly 20 per cent of the area under paddy cultivation to alternative crops to address environmental and economic challenges facing the state.
Sources said the BJP chief is expected to seek Dr Johal’s views on Punjab’s agricultural crisis and explore possible solutions for the sector. Discussions are also likely to focus on long-term reforms, diversification strategies and measures to improve farm sustainability.
Political observers believe the meeting comes at a time when the BJP is attempting to rebuild its connect with Punjab’s farming community following tensions that emerged during the farm laws controversy. There is speculation that the Centre could announce agriculture-related initiatives for Punjab ahead of the Assembly elections in an effort to address farmers’ concerns.
Meanwhile, some events of Nitin Nabin’s three-day Punjab tour have reportedly been cancelled due to a meeting scheduled in Delhi. A dinner programme with party leaders in Chandigarh on the final day of the visit has also been dropped. However, his interaction with Dr Johal remains part of the official itinerary.
