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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION
RAJYA SABHA
STARRED QUESTION NO. 237
ANSWERED ON 13.03.2026
ESTABLISHMENT OF POST GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF HORTICULTURE
RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN PUNJAB
*237. SHRI SATNAM SINGH SANDHU:
Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE be pleased to state:
(a) whether Government is aware that the Post Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research
and Education (PGIHRE), Punjab, announced in the Union Budget 2015-16, has not yet
been established;
(b) the reasons for the delay, particularly with respect to land acquisition; and
(c) the steps being taken by Government to expedite the project?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
(SHRI SHIVRAJ SINGH CHOUHAN)
(a) to (c): A statement is laid on the Table of the House.
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1STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (A) TO (C) IN RESPECT OF
RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 237 FOR REPLY ON 13.03.2026
REGARDING “ESTABLISHMENT OF POST GRADUATE INSTITUTE OF
HORTICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION IN PUNJAB”
(a) to (c): During the Budget speech for the financial year 2015-16, Late Sri Arun Jaitly
ji, the then Honourable Finance Minister, Govt of India announced in the Parliament “I also
propose to set up a Post Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research and Education in
Amritsar” (Point 80 of Speech). Department of Agricultural Research and Education
(DARE) / Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has requested the Government of
Punjab to provide a suitable land in Amritsar for the establishment of the Post Graduate
Institute of Horticulture Research and Education (PGIHRE).
Thereafter, officials of ICAR had held discussions with the Government of Punjab
and did field surveys to identify a suitable site in Amritsar. However, the Government of
Punjab has not taken any meaningful initiative during the last ten years (2015-25) to provide
suitable land for the establishment of the Post Graduate Institute of Horticulture Research
and Education (PGIHRE) in Amritsar.
In this regard, a discussion was also held at Krishi Bhawan, New Delhi between
Special Secretary (Agriculture), Government of Punjab and Secretary, Department of
Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director General, Indian Council of
Agricultural Research, Government of India, in the presence of the Deputy Director General
(Horticultural Science) on 7 July, 2024. During the discussion, it was advised that the
Government of Punjab should take appropriate action on this matter.
Subsequently, there has been no response to our letter written to the Deputy Director
Horticulture, Govt. of Punjab Dated 29 October 2025 on this subject.
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