Even as Punjab battles a deepening groundwater crisis, the state government has decided to expand its maize promotion policy this kharif season — being seen as a progressive move, but still far from the scale required to shift the state away from its heavy dependence on paddy. In 2025, the government launched a pilot project to encourage farmers to shift from paddy to kharif maize on 12,000 hectares. It has now increased the target to around 20,000 hectares for the current season. The agriculture department has also set an overall target of bringing 1.25 lakh hectares under cotton, which is also an alternative to paddy — roughly 6,000 hectares more than the 2025-26 kharif season. While the increase indicates policy continuity, experts argue that the numbers remain too small for any real impact in Punjab where paddy continues to dominate the agricultural landscape. Last year, Punjab recorded nearly 32.48 lakh hectares under paddy.…