Scientists’ services vital for production of quality seed: minister

LAHORE : The 121st Board Meeting of Punjab Seed Corporation was held under the chairmanship of Punjab Minister for Agriculture Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi here on Saturday. The issues related to farming sector were reviewed during the meeting.

Addressing the meeting, Provincial Minister for Agriculture Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi said that Punjab Seed Corporation is playing a pivotal role in providing quality and cheap seeds to the farmers. He stressed that PSC should utilize the services of research institutions and scientists for increasing the production of quality seed.

With the approval of the Board members, he directed the Punjab Seed Corporation to assign responsibility to the farm managers for the losses incurred on the agricultural farms and issued instructions to the Managing Director of PSC to resolve the issue of relinquishing the occupied lands of Punjab Seed Corporation as early as possible.

The provincial minister said that the issue of 17 percent GST levied on local seeds would be taken up with the federal government. Allowing professional hiring to improve the management sector, he said that PSC should set minimum targets and standards for all the departments working under its supervision so that only hard working and capable employees could get bonuses and rewards.

Syed Hussain Jahania Gardezi further said that Seed Corporation needs to rationalize all its posts so that the process of recruitment of eligible persons for important vacancies can be completed. On the occasion, Punjab Agriculture Secretary Asad Rehman Gilani said that Punjab Seed Corporation should prepare a workable business plan and present it in the next Board meeting. He said that employees of PSC could achieve their purpose by increasing the existing Salary Package instead of purposed pay package.

The Secretary Agriculture said that the Seed Corporation should ensure to sale out its existing stock of 3400 seed bags on market rate. Furthermore, he directed to sign an agreement of memorandum of understanding with Kala Shah Kaku Rice Institute for preparing the Hybrid Seed for rice crop.

Earlier, Managing Director Punjab Seed Corporation Fazlur Rehman gave a detailed briefing to the participants of meeting about the sale of Wheat Seed, program for Quality Seed Production and Dissemination, Procurement of Kharif crops and Multiplication status of Rabi crops, sale rates of Kharif crops and imposition of sales tax on sales of seeds for the financial year 2021-22. He further told the meeting about recruitment against vacant critical posts and up-gradation of Store Clerks from BS-7 to BS-9.

The meeting was attended by Secretary Agriculture Punjab Asad Rehman Gillani, Managing Director Punjab Seed Corporation Fazlur Rehman, Board Members Javed Qureshi, Malik Aftab Kachchi, Asif Majeed, Madam Rabia Sultan and senior officers of P&D, C&W and Finance Department.