Provision of another 250,000 Kissan Cards to farmers starts

LAHORE:Agriculture Department, in collaboration with the Bank of Punjab, has initiated the process of providing Kissan Cards to another 250,000 farmers. The cultivators of non-computerised mauzas (towns) would also be eligible for the new Kissan Cards. Punjab chief minister had ordered increasing the number of Kissan Cards from five to 7.5 lakh.

Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman said this while presiding over a meeting of the Kissan Card Steering Committee at Civil Secretariat on Thursday. Secretary agriculture, authorities of the Bank of Punjab and officers concerned attended the meeting.

The meeting considered allowing cash withdrawal of up to 30 percent, besides the purchase of agricultural inputs through the Kissan Card. The chief secretary directed that the process of issuance of the Kissan Cards be completed at the earliest and full support be provided to the farmers for obtaining the ‘fard malkiat’ required for registration. He said that the Kissan Card is getting a lot of praise among farmers, adding that the Punjab government is committed to resolving the problems of small farmers.

The secretary agriculture gave a detailed briefing at the meeting. He said that so far more than 485,000 farmers have been provided with Kissan Cards. He mentioned that in the last twenty days, the farmers have purchased fertilizers and seeds worth Rs18 billion through the Kissan Cards.

He said that farmers have been provided the facility of purchasing agricultural inputs on interest-free loans from registered dealers across the province through Kissan Card, while the facility of cash withdrawal up to 30 percent is also under consideration.