Ludhiana, Aug. 14 -- Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), in partnership with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Institute for Women in Agriculture (ICAR-CIWA), has inaugurated a custom hiring centre (CHC) in Akalgarh village. The initiative, launched under the All India Coordinated Research Project on Women in Agriculture (AICRP-WIA), aims to provide affordable access to agricultural machinery and value-addition tools, particularly benefiting women and small farmers.

The centre was inaugurated by Mridula Devi, director, ICAR-CIWA, who emphasised the institute's commitment to empowering rural women through technology, skills, and market linkages. She noted that the project, supported under the SC-Sub Plan, reflects a lo...