‘Barren areas to be made cultivable’

LAHORE: Provincial Minister for Agriculture Ashiq Hussain Kirmani met with the Head and Director General of Strategic Projects Major General Shahid Nazir at Agriculture House here.

Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo and Agriculture Department Consultant Dr Anjum Ali were also present. Addressing the meeting, Head Major General Shahid Nazir of LIMS said that an institution like Land Information Management System (LIMS) managed by the federal government and the Pakistan Army has been established. He said that the purpose of LIMS was to promote modern agriculture in Pakistan and to deal with the challenges faced by the agricultural sector. Uncultivated and barren areas in country will be made cultivable while three lakh acre canal area of Punjab will be made cultivated. He said that the organisation would provide agricultural loans and credit card facility to small farmers in Punjab. All the farmers will be registered and their problems will be solved.

The Major General added that 16 private companies related to the business of agriculture sector under the management of LIMS would provide all the facilities to the farmers and play their role in providing seeds, fertilizers and pesticides, agricultural machinery and all other items will be available to the farmers in a shopping mall covering a wide area.

Shahid Nazir said that private sector would be encouraged to set up Solace. Bardana should be given only to those farmers who have their ID Card, Girdwari Record and paid Agricultural Tax. The Punjab government wanted to avail the services of LIMS, he maintained.

On this occasion, Provincial Agriculture Minister Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said that the Punjab government and LIMS would work under the mutual partnership agreement. According to the CM’s vision, the dream of agricultural development and prosperity in Punjab would be realised. He said that LIMS would help to improve the agricultural centres established under the Agriculture Department. All necessary steps will be taken to promote gardening (hydroponics gardening) and worming posting. He said that the Punjab government would provide 26,800 agricultural machinery to the farmers on rent.

Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo said that under a business formula, LIMS and the Punjab government would run this company on the basis of no profit and no loss.