‘Interest-free loans issued to 719 farmers'

LALAMUSA: Deputy Commissioner (DC) Tauseef Dilshad Khatana Tuesday said interest free loans had been given to 719 farmers under the special programme of the Punjab government. Addressing an agricultural advisory committee meeting, the DC said data of 57,000 farmers had been submitted and data of 53,216 was uploaded for registration under the farmers card. Deputy Director Agriculture Extension Irfanullah Warraich, Deputy Director Livestock Dr Rizwan Ahmed, Assistant Director Dr Sajjad Mahmood, Khalid Ahmed, farmers’ representatives Abdul Qadus, Azmat Khan, Tariq Mahmood, Ashfaq Ahmad and others were also present. The DC said crackdown against elements involved in selling fertilizers on exorbitant rates had been initiated. He said 60 fertilizer dealers were fined Rs 400,000 and 43 samples of agricultural medicines had been sent to laboratories.