Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Monday formally inaugurated the Wheat Harvesting Campaign 2016 at Kazim Agri Farm in Sheikh Wahan Khairpur Tamewali area of Bahawalpur.
He personally operated the thresher to inaugurate the campaign.
Later, addressing a big gathering of farmers, the chief minister said that with the grace of Almighty Allah and hard work of farmers a bumper wheat crop had been achieved this year as well.
He said that the number of gunny bags had been increased from eight to ten per acre and small cultivators would be given preference in the distribution of gunny bags. He said that delivery charges per gunny bag had also been increased from Rs 7.5 to Rs 9.
Sharif said that in order to facilitate farmers, presence of representatives of cultivators at procurement centres had been made compulsory while immediate redressal of grievances of cultivators had been ensured through registration of farmers through computerised system and citizens’ feedback.
He said that the support price of wheat had been fixed at Rs 1,300 per maund. He said that four million tonnes of wheat would be procured this year with a sum of Rs 130 billion and procurement process had been started at 377 centres.
The chief minister also announced increase in subsidy on Sastay tractors for small cultivators. He said that a subsidy of Rs 0.3 million instead of Rs 0.2 million on these tractors would be given to small farmers from the next financial year. He also announced subsidy for small cultivators on diesel tube-wells, and said this subsidy would be given on 8.5 lakh diesel operated tube-wells from next year’s budget.
Sharif said that a historic package of Rs 100 billion had been given for prosperity of farmers and development of the agriculture sector and every penny of this package would be made available to cultivators at their doorsteps. He said that wheat procurement process had been made highly transparent and rights of small cultivators would be safeguarded at any cost.
Sharif said that sit-ins had failed in 2014 and these elements would not succeed in achieving their selfish interests this time too. He said that the elements involved in such tactics were afraid that completion of power projects would put an end to their politics and their sit-ins and protest reflected their desperation.
He said that there was no allegation of corruption of even a single penny against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. He said that the prime minister had formed a commission on Panama Leaks and written a letter in this regard and now decision of the commission should be awaited.
