Anti-smog squad established: Marriyum

LAHORE:Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz is determined to provide relief to the people and economic opportunities for their welfare. under the CM’s Smog Control Programme, all resources are being used to control air pollution.

These views were expressed by Senior Provincial Minister Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb while speaking as a special guest at the ceremony organised for the activation of Kisan Card and the establishment of Anti-Smog Squad at Agriculture House on Monday. She said that special tasks have been assigned to all the departments under the CM’s smog control programme.

In the first phase, 5,000 super seeders are being provided to the farmers at a cost of Rs5 billion at 60 percent subsidy, with the help of which the paddy residue would be made useful. A zero-tolerance policy is being followed against burning of paddy residue.

The minister said that an anti-smog squad has been established under the agriculture department which will be used in paddy-growing areas at the tehsil level for providing technical guidance to the farmers. The CM has established a special helpline for smog control.

People can report the incidents that cause smog by calling phone number 1373. On this occasion, Provincial Minister for Agriculture and Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said that today is a historic day. Kisan Card have been activated which will prove to be a game changer for small farmers. According to the CM’s vision, Punjab farmers will be able to get rid of the torture of middlemen. Through this card, interest-free agricultural loans of Rs150 billion will be provided to the farmers annually; 80 percent of the applicants for Kisan Card are those who have received agricultural loans for the first time through Kisan Card.

The previous governments played politics in the name of agriculture and farmer but the current government is taking practical steps for the farmers’ prosperity and has allocated 250 percent more budget for agriculture than last year in the budget 2024-25.

In addition, under the CM’s smog control programme, the agriculture department has formulated a smog policy for the first time which is being implemented under which super seeders are being provided and the anti-smog squad has been inaugurated. The officers of this squad have been vested with special powers. The squads will not only provide awareness about not burning crop residues but will also take legal action against those involved in any such incident.

On the occasion, Secretary Agriculture Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said that 6.6 million acres of paddy was cultivated in Punjab this year and now the harvesting is going on. Responsibilities have been assigned to the relevant field formations for smog control. He said that a total of 22 anti-smog squads are being established in the paddy cultivation areas and they have been provided with special vehicles through which these squads will carry out outreach activities better and help in smog control. Apart from this, Kisan Card activation will enable farmers to purchase wheat agricultural inputs immediately and avoid exploitation of middlemen.