Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar has maintained the PTI’s is the genuine farmer-friendly government which has given a full reward to sugarcane farmers for their hard work for the first time. Payment of 99 per cent dues to sugarcane farmers has been ensured in the last two years and support prices of wheat and sugarcane are also being sufficiently increased, he said.
He stated this while addressing the ceremony of distribution of certificates of allotment of agri machinery and e-credit scheme cheques among the farmers at 90-SQA Agri Advisor Abdul Hai Dasti, Parliamentary Secretary (Agriculture) Muhammad Tahir Randhawa, ACS (Agriculture) and others were also present.
In his keynote address, the CM emphasized that the e-credit scheme limit has been increased to Rs.5 thousand for rabi crops and Rs.12 thousand for Kharif crop to facilitate the farmers. He stated that interest-free loans amounting to Rs.35 billion have also been provided to needy farmers during the last two years and another amount of Rs.300 billion is being spent on agri development through PM Agri Emergency Programme.
Meanwhile, per acre yield is being increased and irrigation facilities are improved and the latest agri machinery is imperative for this purpose. The Punjab government has provided the latest machinery worth Rs.46 crore at subsidized rates to farmers and a 2.5 billion rupees increase has been recorded in farmers’ income due to the cultivation of 78 thousand acre barren land in two years.
He expressed the satisfaction that 80 new varieties of crops have been approved by the agriculture department and 6 billion rupees have been earmarked for agri research. The CM maintained that additional wheat, gram, and canola crops have been produced due to farmer-friendly steps of the provincial government.
The CM expressed the satisfaction that the main culprit of the motorway rape case has been arrested last night due to the continued efforts of Punjab police. It was a high-profile case and I extend congratulations to IG Police and his team as the main accused is under police custody now. The Punjab Police have traced all the high-profile cases during the two years and arrested the criminals as well.
The accused will face legal action and the case will be brought to its logical end, he added. The CM also announced an Rs.50 lakh reward for the investigation team and also distributed allotment certificates and cheques among the farmers. Agriculture Minister Hussain Jehanian Gardezi stated that the promotion of agriculture will boost economic development and the use of the latest machinery will result in increasing per acre yield. Secretary Agriculture addressed the function as well. The CM also inspected the agri machinery exhibition.
Meanwhile, on the direction of Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, the Assistant Commissioner Murree Zahid Hussain has been removed from his post. Similarly, tehsildar and sub-registrar Murree Muhammad Ilyas and Registry Moharar Ibrar Qureshi have been immediately suspended and removed from their posts for showing negligence from their duties.
In this regard, the CM has made it clear that indiscriminate action will be initiated against those failing to solve public complaints as PTI has come into power to facilitate the citizens. I have shown lenity for two years but those failing to perform will not stay in Punjab. The officers who will not take interest in solving public problems will face action now, the CM warned.
