- DG Dr Ethasham Anwar says agency to provide up to Rs1.5m for mini dam construction, Rs0.1m for ponds, storage tanks, rooftop harvesting, lift irrigation scheme
RAWALPINDI: The Agency for Barani Areas Development (ABAD) of the Punjab province has offered a financial assistance programme to the farmers particularly of the Barani areas and October 15 will be the last date to submit an application to avail the opportunity.
According to ABAD Director General Dr Ethasham Anwar, the financial assistance up to Rs1.5 million will be provided to the association of the farmers for the construction of the mini dam, Rs 500,000 for the construction of the water ponds, water storage tanks, rooftop harvesting and lift irrigation scheme.
Similarly, Rs 300,000 will be given for construction of the dug well and shallow tubewell. The financial assistance is being offered here to the farmers of Attock, Jhelum, Chakwal and Rawalpindi in the division. The programme has been offered to the associations at the village level.
Old associations formed under the National Rural Support Programme (NRSP) are eligible for the programme while new associations can also be made in this connection. The application forms can be received from the NRSP offices. For further information, ABAD helpline can be contacted with its official website.
An ABAD spokesperson said that the agency has completed 40 public-funded projects, including agriculture sector, institution development, multi-sectoral project, afforestation, range management, agriculture mechanism, livestock development, soil and water conservation and water resource development by investing eight billion rupees for the uplift of the marginalised population of the Punjab Barani tract and working on six projects costing Rs 845 million.
ABAD has also completed five donor-funded projects including sustainable livelihood in the Barani area project, second Barani area development project, Barani village development project, small dams’ umbrella project and first Barani area development project for the uplift of the farmers of the Barani tract.
Dr Ethasham Anwar said that the department was working to transform socio-economic landscape of the Barani region by creating enormous avenues of the livelihood and implementing the development programmes for the Barani areas of the Punjab province through coordinating, monitoring and evaluating the activities of the departments responsible for the execution of the development schemes in these areas.
He said that the Agency for Barani Areas Development was striving to increase the agricultural productivity of the Barani areas, reduce the soil losses, promote efficient use of the ground water, improve management of forestry, fisheries and livestock resources and promote employment and commercial opportunities for the rural communities.
