Punjab Government will resolve farmers problems:Shahbaz Sharif

Lahore: Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that agriculture is the backbone of our economy. He said that Punjab government is taking concrete measures for promotion of agriculture and farmers’ problems would be resolved on priority basis.

The Chief Minister said that Pakistan is the country of all of us and we have to put it on the road to progress and prosperity jointly. He said that provincial ministers and the concerned authorities should sit together and review the resolution of farmer’s problems including electricity bills, tariff, and other problems. Shahbaz Sharif said that he himself would talk to federal government for resolving the problems of farmers.

He was talking to the delegation of farmers led by President Pakistan Kisan Ittehad Khalid Mehmood Khokhar at Model Town today. Shahbaz Sharif assured that Punjab government would sincerely take all possible steps for resolving problems of the farmers.

The delegation informed the Chief Minister about electricity bills, tariff and other problems being faced by small farmers upon which, Shahbaz Sharif assured that sincere efforts would be made for resolving all problems of farming community including electricity tariff. He said that federal government would be contacted with regard to the matters relating to federal government. Referring electricity crisis, Shahbaz Sharif said that we have made promise with the people of overcoming energy crisis and we all have to work day and night for eliminating load-shedding. He said that we are considering to setting up 15 and 20 mega watt plants of biogas and biomass through public private partnership. He said that the utility of technology for generating electricity through biogas and biomass has proved in various countries and we will also take full benefit from this technology. He said that biogas, biomass and other projects of generating electricity would be implemented speedily. The Chief Minister directed concerned authorities that a practicable plan of collecting raw material throughout the province for generating electricity through biomass should be evolved. On a complaint of the delegation, Shahbaz Sharif warned that the business of spurious agri-medicines and fertilizers would not be tolerated and strict action would be taken against the elements as per law. He said that the neighboring country India have taken lead in cotton production which is a matter of pondering for us. He said that the cotton production can be enhanced by utilizing modern agriculture technology.

The Chief Minister directed that provincial ministers of agriculture, irrigation and energy and concerned authorities should sit together and formulate proposals for implementing the projects of generating energy through biogas and biomass and operating tube well on solar energy. He said that the best technology with regard to biogas, biomass and solar energy is available with Germany and China and they should be contacted for this purpose. Similarly, this technology is being implemented successfully in Indian province Hariyana and it can also be contacted. Shahbaz Sharif said that we have to march forward speedily for launching energy projects without wasting time. He directed that the payments of sugarcane prices by the sugar mills to the farmers should be ensured.

President Pakistan Kisan Ittehad Khalid Mehmood Khokhar while expressing satisfaction over the policies of Punjab government led by Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said that the Chief Minister would certainly resolve the problems of small farmers. He thanked to Chief Minister for sparing time for the meeting. Khalid Mehmood Khokhar said that the small farmers of Punjab are with the Chief Minister in eliminating Patwari culture. He said that small farmers would become prosperous due to the steps taken by the Chief Minister for the promotion of agriculture. Provincial Minister for Local Government and Law Rana Sanaullah Khan, Agriculture Minister Dr. Farrukh Javed, Energy Minister Sher Ali Khan, Member National Assembly Ch. Iftikhar Nazir, Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy Departments and officers of LESCO, MEPCO and FESCO were also present on the occasion.