BAHAWALPUR: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said the government is taking steps to help the country prosper.
Addressing a Kissan convention at the Islamia University, Bahawalpur, on Wednesday, he said: “We have yet to struggle to end poverty and control the price hike.” The prime minister said that an increase in the income of growers would bring more prosperity and decrease poverty. Terming the Kissan card a revolutionary step, he said that it would make the growers financially strong. He said that the government was providing direct subsidy to the farmers through the Kissan card to purchase agri inputs. “We have to help the farmers by providing them financial assistance and technological support.” He said that the government believed in encouraging research in the agriculture sector to increase the per acre yield.
Imran said if the people were facing economic problems how record sales of motorcycles and cars happened as it showed an increase in the purchasing power of the general public.
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan inaugurated a number of projects, including the National Cotton Breeding Institute, in the Islamia University Bahawalpur. The prime minister also inaugurated the Inter-Cropping Research Centre where initially research is being carried out to increase soybean and maize production through strip-intercropping. A world-class nursing college was also inaugurated in the university, which will help build the capacity of the existing workforce and provide employment opportunities to the youths of South Punjab. The prime minister opened a cricket stadium at the Baghdad Al-Jadeed Campus to promote the sport. He also inaugurated a 2.5 megawatt solar project to meet the energy needs of the university. The project not only has the capacity to meet the needs of the university, but will also provide additional power to the Mepco. The plant will generate electricity at the cost of Rs 1.7 per unit and will benefit the national exchequer by Rs455 million in 25 years.
Meanwhile, hundreds of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) activists, including party office-bearers, staged a demonstration outside the Islamia University Bahawalpur Baghdadul Jadeed Campus gate as they were not allowed to enter the university during the visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The protesters led by PTI city president Qayyum Azam raised slogans against the district administration. They also blocked the road outside the university to register their protest.
Meanwhile, Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar has said the youth have played a pivotal role in national development. The chief minister said Pakistan has a lot of expectations from its youth as their role in national development is very important. Keeping in view the importance of youth, the government is economically empowering them, he added.
Youth empowerment is an important agenda as they have brought laurels home on every occasion, he added. While Arshad Nadeem and Talha Talib have set new examples for the youth, the government will continue to provide resources and opportunities to the youth to empower them for a beneficial role in society, he further added.
Addressing a ceremony Wednesday to launch Kisan Cards at the Islamia University Bahawalpur, the chief minister said the Bahawalpur region enjoys a unique identity and importance and the role of the Bahawalpur State in the establishment of a separate homeland for Muslims will be written in golden words.
The Bahawalpurites love Pakistan and IUB stands among the 1000 best universities in the world, he said. While giving credit to Prime Minister Imran Khan for the achievements, Buzdar said the PTI is fulfilling its promises made with the people and assured that the South Punjab Secretariat will be established soon in Bahawalpur.
The government has allocated a 35 percent budget for South Punjab while ring fencing worth Rs190 billion and a separate annual development plan has also been devised for the southern districts, he added.
Similarly, a decision has been made, in principle, to fix a 32 percent quota for South Punjab in provincial employment and the proposal of including Mianwali and Bhakkar in this quota is being reviewed, as well. The chief minister reiterated that a district development package worth Rs 360 billion has been proposed to remove deprivations, adding that the Kisan Card will help in farmers’ empowerment.
Around 13.55 lakh plus farmers have registered themselves for Kisan Cards to use this facility as an ATM to get agri items. This will help increase agri produce; he added and continued that megaprojects valuing Rs300 billion are in the process under the agri emergency programme.
A sum of Rs45 billion is being given to 70,000 farmers under the e-credit scheme as interest-free loans and Rs4.40 billion will be provided for the procurement of certified seeds and agri machinery at subsidised rates, he added. Nine lakh farmers will be given a subsidy of more than Rs12 billion for subsidising the cost of production and the latest irrigation system is being introduced as well.
A subsidy of more than Rs4 billion will be given for solar system and drip sprinkler systems while introducing crop insurance, for which the provincial government has paid Rs15 billion as premium, he further said.
He welcomed the inauguration of the national cotton breeding institute and intercropping research centre, adding that the 2.5 megawatt solar power project in IUB will produce Re1.7 per unit of electricity.
