Govt to save agriculture land from housing developers: minister

LAHORE: Minister for Law, Parliamentary Affairs and Local Government Muhammad Basharat Raja has said the unplanned housing schemes on agricultural land had not only affected our agricultural produce but also cast a bad environmental and social impact in large cities too.

He was addressing as chief guest at an annual conference arranged by a private company at a local hotel on Monday. Minister for Social Welfare Muhammad Ajmal Cheema and other notables were also present on the occasion. However, for the first time in the history of Pakistan, the government has imposed an immediate ban on the housing schemes to be developed on cultivated lands. Basharat said, “As minister my first instructions to the officers of Punjab local bodies were to save agricultural lands from housing developers in future by taking stern actions and enacting effective by laws.”

He said though major part of Punjab’s economy depended on the agriculture, but the conditions of the farmers were not as good as ought to be. “Ignored by the previous governments, our farmers have been facing many problems but the PTI’s government was committed to solve them through effective policies in future,” he added.

Admiring the role of private companies in agriculture sector, the minister urged for vast use of modern technology in agriculture to overcome the chronic issues and increase crop yield.

CPEC: Punjab Planning & Development Chairman Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani has said that no doubt China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is the most successful project while China is extending a close cooperation with Pakistan under CPEC, ignoring any kind of negative impact of internal issues and challenges being faced by Pakistan.

He stated this while chairing a meeting with the delegation of Chinese experts on socio-economic development led by Director General China International Electronic Commerce Centre, Professor Senior Engineer Du Zhenli and his 10-member team visited P&D Complex on Monday.

Provincial Secretary P&D Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, Joint Chief Economist P&D Board Dr Amanullah, all administrative secretaries, members P&D Board, senior representatives of Chinese Experts Ms Dong Le Deputy Director CIECC Senior Engineer, Ms Zhang Meng Engineer CIECC, Wang Haimin Associate Professor China Agriculture University, Mr Simon Interpreter, CRBC China and other relevant officials attended the meeting.

The main objective of the meeting was to hold discussions with the Chinese experts on projects proposal of Punjab for socio-economic development under CPEC. In the meeting, administrative secretaries of the Punjab government gave their perspective project proposals related to development sectors.

Addressing the participants, the P&D chairman appreciated the efforts and commitments of both countries on key CPEC related socio-economic development projects and expressed hope that these development projects and their implementation would result in prosperity for the people of Punjab. With a special focus on the development of the backward areas, these projects would also result in regional equalisation bringing underdeveloped areas on a par with the developed ones, he disclosed.

The initiatives of the provincial government focus more on economic growth, human resource development, agriculture productivity, public-private partnership and social and equitable development. As a result of these initiatives and aforementioned features of the development programme, the Annual Development Programme (ADP) is more aligned with the growth strategy objectives and CPEC framework, and will enable the accomplishment of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), he added.