Punjab wins national awards for excellence in Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, with 31,076 projects approved and ₹11,270 crore invested.

Punjab has received national acclaim for its strong performance in improving agricultural infrastructure. The state has received two major awards for exemplary project delivery and competent monitoring through the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund (AIF) initiative.

Horticulture Minister Mohinder Bhagat explained that the state received awards for Best Performing State and Best State Project Monitoring Unit at the AIF Regional Conference in Chandigarh, which was organized by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India.

As of December 31, 2025, 31,076 projects in Punjab have been approved under the AIF Scheme, with a total investment of ₹11,270 crore and loans of ₹7,221 crore sanctioned by various lending institutions.

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The AIF initiative offers a 3% interest subvention on loans up to ₹2 crore for a maximum tenure of 7 years, with an effective lending rate of 9%.

The prizes were handed by the Indian government’s Joint Secretary Anbalagan P (IAS) and Deputy Secretary (AIF) Rachna Kumar (IAS). Shailender Kaur (IFS), Director Horticulture, Punjab, and State Nodal Officer for the AIF scheme, received the award on behalf of the Punjab Government, while Team Leader Ravdeep Kaur and Consultant Yuvraj Aulakh accepted it on behalf of the State Project Monitoring Unit.

The Minister further stated that, to assist stakeholders, the state Horticulture Department has established a WhatsApp helpline number 9056092906, through which interested farmers and businesspeople can access scheme information.