PIDA approved amendments in Election Regulations of Farmers’ Organizations

Lahore: Punjab Irrigation & Drainage Authority (PIDA) has given approval to the proposed amendments in Election Regulations of Farmers’ Organizations and Area Water Board Rules.

This was decided at a 45th meeting of PIDA presided over by Provincial Minister for Irrigation and Chairman PIDA Malik Ahmed Ali in the office of Irrigation Department, today. Secretary Irrigation Khalid Masood Chaudhary, Farmer Members PIDA, Assembly Members Rana Abdul Rehman, Karam Ali Bandial, Ali Haider Noor Khan Niazi, Rana Mubashar Iqbal, Javed Hassan Gujjar, Syed Ibrar Hussain Shah, General Mangers PIDA Ch. Zahid Bashir, Malik Shabbir Ahmed, Malik Muhammad Saleem, Secretary PIDA Muhammad Anjum Toor and officers of Irrigation, Agriculture and P&D departments were present.

The meeting while giving approval to the necessary amendments in the rules and regulations of farmers’ organizations and the Area Water Boards for improving their performance agreed that the tenure of these organizations should be kept three years. The meeting also recommended 33% representation of women in authority members. The meeting unanimously gave approval to the 15% ad-hoc relief allowance to PIDA employees from 1st July, 2011 and extended the contracts of consultants and all employees upto December 2012 in the light of PC-1. The meeting also directed the officers to complete necessary formalities for transferring staff of PIDA from project to regular mod so that the programmes of reformation of irrigation system under PIDA could be made on coordinated basis. The meeting also directed Secretary Irrigation to constitute inquiry committee regarding theft of water in the Area Water Board of Lower Bari Duab Canal.
Chairman PIDA directed that the monitoring and audit process should be made effective from improving the performance of farmers’ organizations. He also directed to revisit the existing rules and regulations 2007 regarding PIDA staff. Chairman PIDA also directed to issue notification of election results of Chairman and Vice Chairman of Area Water Board of Lower Chenab Canal (Sharqi) Circle.

Malik Ahmed Ali said that the government is providing maximum incentives to the government employees so that their problems could be solved on priority basis. He directed the officers to evolve such projects for the farmers through which they could be able to get maximum yield by using minimum water.