Chandigarh, Feb 24 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Wednesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to set up the proposed Borlaug Institute for South Asia at Ladhowal, in Punjab's Ludhiana district.

In a letter to Manmohan Singh, Badal stated that the Nobel laureate and father of the green revolution Norman E. Borlaug was intimately associated with Punjab.

'Officials of Punjab Agricultural University (in Ludhiana) and many people of the state still remember Borlaug with great respect and affection,' wrote Badal.

'Besides, Punjab is at the forefront of foodgrain production in the country. Therefore, it would be appropriate if the proposed institute in memory of Borlaug is established at Ladhowal in the vicinity of Ludhiana city and in close proximity to Punjab Agricultural University.'

Badal said the state government has already shown its willingness in this direction by offering free land in Ladhowal for the establishment of this institute.

Last year, after Borlaug's death, Badal had written to the union agriculture minister seeking the establishment of a wheat research centre in Borlaug's name in the state.

Ludhiana, the industrial hub of Punjab, is around 100 km from here.