Ludhiana 14 December 2024-Shri Rahul Bhandari, IAS, Principal Secretary, Animal Husbandry, Dairy Development, and Fisheries, Government of Punjab, visited Guru Angad Dev Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Ludhiana. Dr. Jatinder Paul Singh Gill, Vice Chancellor of the university, took him for a tour of various colleges, farms and other infrastructural facilities on campus.

At the Teaching Veterinary Clinical Complex and Multi-Speciality Veterinary Hospital, Mr. Bhandari was apprised of the advanced treatment facilities, including the dialysis unit, clinical lab, diagnostic imaging center and the services rendered at the Farmers Information Center for the farming community besides farm literature and books in Punjabi language. At the dairy farm, he was briefed about the elite animals of the university and the concerted efforts related to herd management, climate resilient sheds and measures on breed improvement through embryo transfer technology. The Principal Secretary expressed keen interest in re-circulatory aquaponics and biofloc fish farming methods, which he opined emphatically can contribute to conservation of land and water resources and can give positive flip to conserving our ecosystem. He appreciated the research in innovative areas like stem cell therapy and treatment of tumours. He also assured of utilising the university expertise for developing government policy for control of diseases like brucellosis.

Later, the Principal Secretary held a meeting with university officers. During the meeting, Dr. Banga, Registrar of the university, provided a comprehensive overview of the university’s teaching, research, and extension activities. Mr. Bhandari was overwhelmed by the on-going research initiatives and commended the university’s progress in various fields for the benefit of farmers and livestock owners. He further emphasized the importance of adopting villages and farmer-oriented research and urged officials to focus on uplifting economically weaker sections of society.

Mr. Bhandari was quite emphatic that the university should hold training and measures to propagate goatery in Punjab and take steps for value addition of goat milk and meat. He further added that for giving impetus to the dairy sector, measures should be taken on breed improvement, Artificial Insemination and sexed semen technology and above all nutritional aspects besides a relook on Feed law.

Mr. Bhandari gave a patient hearing to the long pending issues of the university and assured his full support in resolving the issues under his administrative control.