Taking a swipe at opposition parties in Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Friday that convent school-educated politicians knew nothing about grassroots issues faced by the common people.“Most people, especially politicians, these days are conventarians. Pahadaan wale schoolan ch padhey hoye ne (they have studied in schools in the hills). They say ‘log’ referring to people, whereas in Punjabi it’s ‘lok’ not ‘log’. It’s not their fault, because they don’t know. They were never taught Punjabi in convent schools. They don’t know how to speak or read Punjabi, nor do they understand or make others understand it. They have no local connectivity. They know nothing of grassroots issues of common people,” Mann said, addressing farmers at Kisan Mela at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).Accusing previous governments of never taking agriculture seriously, Mann said they lacked “clear and honest intentions” necessary to serve the people. “Otherwise, how are farmers now getting free power supply even during the daytime? Why did they only receive it at night before? I asked Chief Secretary KAP Sinha about his office hours. He said 9 am to 5 pm. So, I told him that, in the same way, a farmer’s office is his ‘khet’ (field). While we all work during the day in our offices, why should farmers work at night when it’s time to sleep?”The chief minister said the Punjab government is focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled agriculture, and farmers would soon be assisted by technology. “AI tools will help farmers in such a way that they will even get to know about the right time to water crops.”Noting that PAU, the highest-ranked agricultural university in the country, used to face difficulties in even paying salaries to its employees, Mann said, “Now, under the AAP government, the university is getting Rs 35 crore for research work alone. The government released Rs 118 crore for PAU to conduct research.”The chief minister, however, urged the university authorities to release seeds only when they are sure the seeds are disease-free. “ We will continue to give you funds for research, but please don’t experiment on farmers. You first need to experiment and then recommend to farmers when it is successful. Take a year more, but be sure before you recommend something to farmers. Release seeds only when you are sure they are disease-free. Don’t make farmers your experiment lab,” Mann said.The chief minister recalled that in 2020-21, the entire cotton crop was infested by whitefly in Mansa, and when farmers approached the university to complain about seeds they got from PAU, the university replied to them that “our own crop has died”. “This excuse that our own crop has died won’t work now,” he added.Story continues below this adThe chief minister informed farmers that the Punjab government would soon tie up with a Japan-based company, Zaika, which processes fruits and vegetables, and the farmers could supply their produce to the Japanese firm.Mann, however, noted that he would never allow industries or factories to degrade Punjab’s water and environment. “I am not having any personal ‘hissa’ (share) in any factory, ‘dhaba’ (eatery) or even ‘a samosa rehri’ (cart). I only have a share in the happiness and sorrows of 3.5 crore Punjabis. Those politicians who had hissa are now finished, they will keep waiting for their turn,” Mann said, taking a swipe at SAD chief Sukhbir Badal. “A clock of lies keeps ticking for half an hour continuously when Sukhbir Badal gives a speech.”Terming PAU as “nursery of international-level hockey players”, the chief minister said, “Punjab is hopeful of hosting Hockey Asia Cup later this year, during which Astroturf hockey stadiums in Mohali, Jalandhar, Bathinda and PAU Ludhiana will host international matches.”Mann also met legendary Indo-American rice breeder Dr Gurdev Singh Khush, a PAU alumnus, and described him as “Pitamah of rice crops, who has more than 300 rice varieties to his credit”.