‘Grow More Cotton’ drive reviewed

JHANG: Punjab Agriculture Department (Extension) Director General Dr Anjum Ali Monday visited Shorkot and Ahmedpur Sial and reviewed the progress of ‘Grow More Cotton’ drive.

Agriculture (Extension) Divisional Director Chaudhry Abdul Hamid, Deputy Director Akhtar Hussain and other officials concerned accomplished the DG.

Talking to farmers, the DG highlighted the importance of the cultivation of cotton crop and assured them of full technical support of the department and cash rewards from the government for showing good performance. He also visited the sunflower and cotton fields of different areas and issued necessary directions to field staff to provide required training and benefits to farming community. The DG also held a meeting with local fertiliser dealers and told them that the government and the department were working on zero tolerance regarding shortage and price hike situation about fertilizers.

CRACKDOWN ORDERED ON TRAFFIC RULES VIOLATORS: District Traffic Officer (DO) Khalid Qureshi Monday said strict action would be taken during the Eid days against those involved in one-wheeling, over-speeding, overloading, wrong parking and other traffic rules violations. The DTO said special duties had been assigned to wardens to identify the one-wheelers across the district on Eid days. He told reporters that the year 2022 would be a year of further improvement for traffic management awareness and education about traffic rules would be the top priority. The DTO said traffic officers would remain present in the field themselves and will increase patrolling on city roads and highways. He said an electronic and digital/e-ticketing system has been launched to make the traffic challan system transparent and corruption-free at the district level.

AUDIT URGED OF FUNDS RELEASED BY EX-CM: After the swearing-in of Punjab Chief Minister Hamza Shahbaz Sharif, the top officials of the district administration have started establishing relations with the PML-N leaders to get their sympathies.

Meanwhile, the PML-N party workers, business community and rights activists demanded CM Hamza to order a special audit of development funds that were released during the tenure of the caretaker CM. They alleged that during the period between the resignation of the former Chief Minister and the swearing-in of the new Chief Minister, the district administration and the heads of different departments were allegedly showing extraordinary efficiency without checking the completion of development works they made payments speedily.