Kisan Cards get Rs75bn, agriculture Rs64.60bn

LAHORE:With a view to transformation of agriculture sector and ensuring water and food security, Punjab has introduced major initiatives for agriculture and allied fields under provincial budget 2024-25.

The provincial finance minister said that the govt has decided to abandon the old practices in the agricultural sector and the way for corruption in the procurement of wheat has been closed.

He said that in the budget, Rs64.60bn have been allocated for agriculture, while Rs75bn have been allocated for Punjab Kisan Card. Under the Punjab Fiscal Year 2024-25 Budget, a total of Rs400m have been specified for the food department.

Rs180m have been allocated for ongoing schemes and Rs120m for new schemes. Among the ongoing important schemes, Rs116.167m will be spent on establishing a food testing laboratory in Faisalabad. According to the budget document, the CM Solarisation of Agriculture Tube-Wells Programme is being started at a cost of Rs9bn, under which 7,000 tube wells will be transferred to solar.

The provincial government has prepared projects for lining of 2,086 watercourses, installation of high efficiency irrigation systems on 5,281 acres.