Wheat cultivation exceeds target of 16.5 million acre set for this season

LAHORE:The wheat sowing phase in the Punjab province has successfully concluded, with 16.7 million acres of land cultivated.

According to Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, the area under cultivation exceeded the target of 16.5 million acres set for this season. While chairing a meeting here at Agriculture House, he stated that the Chief Minister Punjab Special Kissan Package has yielded positive results during the wheat sowing campaign.

The secretary laid emphasis that a comprehensive plan was executed to achieve the sowing target. This year, wheat cultivation was a challenging task, but the Agriculture Department Punjab's field formations played a pivotal role, with strong support from divisional and district administrations.

He further appreciated the commendable cooperation of farmers, which contributed to the success of the campaign. Additionally, the Agriculture Department Punjab ensured the availability of the agricultural inputs at fixed rates to support the farmers. The secretary also highlighted that the efforts to implement care practices for maximising per-acre wheat yield are ongoing. The meeting was attended by Director Generals of Agriculture, including Chaudhry Abdul Hameed, Rana Tajammul, and Naveed Asmat Kahloon, along with other senior officials.

Funds for cops medical expenses approved

IGP Punjab has approved an additional Rs1 million for the medical expenses of police personnel across districts. Key allocations included Rs250,000 to Constable Syed Muhammad Wahab Arif (Rawalpindi) for major surgery, Rs200,000 to Head Constable Naeem Raza Bhatti (Lahore) for open-heart surgery, Rs100,000 each to DSP Ejaz Hussain Bukhari (gallbladder surgery), Ghazi Head Constable Amir Mahmood (hernia surgery), Sanitary Worker Asif Nadeem Khan (leg surgery), and Constable Maqbool Ahmad (eye surgery). Additionally, Rs70,000 was allocated to the widow of late Constable Alamdar Hussain for medical treatment, and Rs50,000 to Sub-Inspector Arham Azan for medical expenses.

Orderly room session

A weekly orderly room session was held at Police Lines Qila Gujjar Singh under the chairmanship of DIG Operations Lahore. During the session, the DIG reviewed 10 show-cause notices and heard 43 appeals submitted by police personnel. As a result of the proceedings, four officers were penalised for misconduct, while 13 appeals against previously awarded penalties were rejected, with the original sentences being upheld.