Govt to procure 4 million tons of wheat to benefit small farmers: Shehbaz

— CM says revolutionary Kissan Package introduced for prosperity of farmers’ community

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the Punjab government would procure 4 million tons of wheat from the farmers. “The wheat will be purchased at the rate of Rs1300 per maund and gunny bags will be provided to the farmers at their doorsteps through a transparent and foolproof system,” he said and added that it would eliminate the role of a middleman.

Chairing a high-level meeting held here in connection with the wheat procurement campaign 2018, the chief minister also said that the unique initiative would tremendously benefit small farmers.

He directed that the initiative should be implemented in letter and spirit adding that the government would provide every possible facility to small farmers during the campaign.

“Such a system needs to be devised to provide maximum relief to them (small farmers),” said the chief minister. He said that the process of distribution of gunny bags would start from April and directed that various facilities including tents, fans and cold drinking water should also be arranged at the wheat procurement centres for the visiting farmers.

He made it clear that deploying of corrupt staff at the centres would not be tolerated at any cost and ordered the provincial ministers, advisors and secretaries to visit the procurement centres of the districts allotted to them. “Protection of rights of small farmers will be ensured at every cost and complaint cells will also be established at tehsil, division and provincial levels,” said Shehbaz.

Provincial Ministers Rana Sanaullah, Malik Nadeem Kamran, Bilal Yasin, Aisha Ghaus Pasha, Naeem Akhtar Bhabha, advisor Dr Umar Saif, chief secretary, senior members of the Board of Revenue, secretaries and other high officials concerned also attended the meeting.

Separately, Chief Minister Shehbaz said that a revolutionary Kissan Package had been introduced by the government in a bid to bring improvements in the lives of the people. The project worth billions of rupees had been introduced for the welfare of the farmers’ community, he said.

Speaking to Federal Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq, who called on him, the chief minister said a wonderful programme to provide interest-free loans had also been initiated for the prosperity of small farmers. “On the other hand, farmers have been given their rights in shape of subsidy on fertilizers amounting to billions of rupees. Along with it, electricity bills of tube-wells have also been decreased,” said Shehbaz.

“There are no other examples of the wonderful steps taken by the government for the welfare of the farmers in the 70-year history of the country,” said the chief minister and added that if the people once again reposed their trust on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the upcoming elections, the welfare programmes for the farming community would be spread across Pakistan because the prosperity of the farmers, indeed, depicted prosperity in a country.

During the meeting, different matters of mutual interest including development schemes and overall political situation of the country also came under discussion.