LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has directed starting mega projects for the socio-economic uplift of farmers.
“We are introducing Kissan Cards, Agricultural Mall Pilot Project, Green Tractor Scheme, Agriculture Graduates Internship and Tube Well Solarization Projects for the development of agriculture and socio-economic uplift of farmers in Punjab,” she said while chairing a review meeting of the Agriculture Department to discuss progress on the CM’s initiatives for the uplift of the agriculture sector.
The chief minister said: “Delivery of 40,000 Kissan Cards to farmers through 136 agriculture centres in the province started on Tuesday. Farmers can get Kissan Cards from the agriculture office in every Tehsil. They will be able to use these cards to buy agricultural inputs for wheat crop after October 15. Five lakh farmers will benefit from Kissan Cards. A farmer will be able to get a loan from Rs30,000 per acre to Rs1.5 lakh through these cards.”
Maryam said: “The Agricultural Mall Pilot Project will be started in Okara, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal and Sargodha. Seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural goods, counseling, loans and other facilities will be available at these malls.” Under the CM Green Tractor Scheme, 10,000 tractors will be given in a year. The Punjab government will give a subsidy of Rs10 lakh on each tractor. Farmers will be able to apply after the launch of the scheme on September 20. The Agricultural Tube Well Solarization Project is in final stages and will start soon. The Punjab government will pay 50% on solarization of electric and diesel tube wells.
She approved the Fresh Agriculture Graduates Internship Program, under which training of 1,000 agriculture graduates would start across Punjab from next week.
Under the directives of Maryam Nawaz, the Maryam Ki Dastak initiative has extended its reach to 11 districts, now providing 60 plus services directly at citizens’ doorsteps. In this regard, PITB Chairman Faisal Yousaf stated: “The Maryam Ki Dastak initiative has provided significant relief to various segments of the society including women, elderly, sick and working individuals, by eliminating the need to visit offices or stand in long queues. We plan to extend the scope of these services across the province by the end of 2024, making it even easier for citizens to access vital services from the comfort of their homes.” It is pertinent to mention here that the scope of the initiative has been extended to Lahore, Rawalpindi, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Multan, Bahawalpur, Dera Ghazi Khan, Sargodha, Sahiwal, Okara, and Pakpattan. Citizens can access government services from home either through the Dastak Doorstep Delivery App or by calling 1202.
Also Maryam on Tuesday met provincial ministers and parliamentary and administrative secretaries. She directed authorities to invite the parliamentary secretaries concerned to departmental meetings and directed the parliamentary secretaries to get details of projects from their respective departments and sought five-year vision reports from them. She said in her keynote speech in the meeting: “Earlier in a meeting, Chinese investors described Punjab as a land full of opportunities. The tendency to turn political opposition into hostility has harmed Pakistan a lot. The government had been in the hands of incompetents for four years and 40 years of development were destroyed in four years.”
Talking about other governments, she said: “No one can bring as many schemes in five years as we did in six months. Our schemes are not on paper but the work has started on the ground.” She said: “The problems of people cannot be assessed by sitting in offices, the facts on ground can be found only by going to the field. The bureaucracy is fully cooperating and wants to work as a team. After introducing the KPI system, the performance of police and administration is improving. Instructions have been issued to distribute sweets in processions on the Eid-e-Miladun Nabi. The Punjab government is about to launch Minority Cards for the minorities.”