‘Economy cannot be strengthened without promotion of agriculture’

LAHORE: Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has said the country’s economy cannot strengthen without the promotion of agriculture.
The CM visited Narowal and Sheikhupura on Monday and distributed cheques of relief assistance to small cultivators under the historic package of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
He inspected payment centres set up for small farmers and monitored the process of distribution of relief amount. Addressing the ceremonies held in connection with distribution of financial help to cultivators in Narowal and Sheikhupura, the CM said that the economy of the country cannot strengthen without the promotion of agriculture. He said that prosperity of farmers is the prosperity of Pakistan. He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has given historic Kisan Package for the development of agriculture and prosperity of cultivators. He said billions of farmers who grow food for the people of Pakistan deserve all out respect and honour. He said that losses suffered by the farmers will be compensated and the Kisan Package given by PM for the welfare and betterment of farmers is a historic step. He said Rs 40 billion have been allocated in Punjab for the implementation of Kisan Package.
Shahbaz Sharif said that the subsidy of Rs 500 has been given under Kisan Package on each bag of fertilizer. He said financial assistance is being given to small cultivators of cotton and rice at the rate of Rs 5,000 per acre. Shahbaz Sharif said that transparency will be maintained at any cost in the payment of financial assistance to small farmers under Kisan package and other welfare programmes and stern action will be taken against the officers who failed in this regard. He said Imran Khan tried to stop Kisan package as he has no interest in the welfare of poor cultivators.
He said Imran Khan wrote a letter to Election Commission for stopping this historic package and his request was accepted, however, the government went to the court against the decision of Election Commission which set aside the order of the Election Commission. He said under the Kisan package of Prime Minister, subsidy of Rs 40 billion is being given to farmers in Punjab on fertilizers, rice and cotton. He said that farmers are hardworking and in coming days they will change the subsidy of Rs 40 billion into 400 billion rupees. He said that under this package, distribution of a huge amount of relief assistance of Rs 40 billion among small cultivators of rice and cotton has started and lakhs of families will benefit from this historic Kisan Package. The CM said that losses of farmers are being made up through financial assistance of Rs 5,000 per acre to the growers of rice and cotton while subsidy of Rs 500 per bag is being given on fertilizers due to which agriculture sector as well as national economy will strengthen and the country will be put on the road to prosperity.
Shahbaz Sharif said that due to the package of relief amount given by federal and provincial government with mutual collaboration to the farmers on fertilizers and cultivation of cotton and rice, 1180000 cultivators will benefit in the province. He said that federal government and provincial governments have provided an amount of Rs 20 billion each for the implementation of Prime Minister Kisan Package which the hardworking cultivators will turn into Rs 400 billion in the days to come. He said a sum of about one billion rupees is being distributed among 43 thousand 528 farmers in district Narowal under relief package and the distribution process has been started. The CM warned the administration that no irregularity will be tolerated in the distribution of Kisan Package and transparency will be ensured.
He said the officers intentionally committing irregularity in the distribution of Kisan Package will be taken to task. He said roads are being constructed in villages at a cost of Rs50 billion under Khadim-e-Punjab Rural Roads programme and a sum of Rs 50 crore is being provided to the villages of Narowal for this purpose. He said billions of rupees have been allocated for the provision of potable water to 3.5 crore people of rural areas during the next two and a half years. Shahbaz Sharif said that a number of projects of power generation through water, coal, solar and wind energy have been started.
He said thousands of megawatt electricity will be available by the end of 2017 which will remove darkness while industrial and agriculture sectors will develop.
Addressing distribution ceremony of relief assistance among small farmers in Sheikhupura, Shahbaz Sharif said that financial assistance is being provided to 30,253 cultivators having one lakh 91 thousand 233 acre land in Sheikhupura area and payments under Kisan package is being made. He said that historic Kisan Package of Rs 40 billion has been launched. He said that a sum of Rs 50 billion has been allocated in the current budget for laying a network of roads in Punjab and out of this amount Rs.50 crore have been earmarked for roads in Sheikhupura. He said the Punjab government has also allocated Rs15 billion in the current budget for the supply of drinking water in villages.
The CM on this occasion announced provision of potable water in Sheikhupura within a year. He said Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif fully realises the problems of the farmers and has proved this through farmers’ friendly attitude by giving Kisan Package of billions of rupees. Expressing his views in connection with Iqbal Day, Shahbaz Sharif said that Turkey, Malaysia, Iran and other Islamic countries have made rapid progress by acting upon the message of Allama Iqbal. Therefore, he said, on his instructions, functions are being arranged in colleges and schools in connection with Iqbal Day for promoting awareness about the teachings of Iqbal. He said that there is a need for following the message of Allama Iqbal throughout the year instead of limiting it only to Iqbal Day. He said that the destiny of the nation can be changed through continuous work and struggle. He said that message of Allama Iqbal is always fresh and there is need for understanding his theory of self-respect. He said that Poet of the East Allama Iqbal is the great poet and philosopher and his poetry influenced not only Asia but the whole world. The CM said that Pakistan will be made a great power and it is collective responsibility to steer the country out of problems and put it on the road to progress and prosperity. Shahbaz Sharif was informed during the briefing in Narowal that under Prime Minister’s Kisan package, financial assistance of Rs 92 crore 36 lakh and 53 thousand is being given to 41 thousand 825 farmers in district Narowal. The CM in his address appreciated the measures taken in district Sheikhupura with regard to Kisan Package.