LAHORE– A high level meeting held under the chair of Minister for Agriculture Syed Hussain Jahanian Gardezi for “Model Villages Program” in Punjab. The salient features and draft project for establishing model villages were reviewed in the meeting.
Secretary Agriculture Punjab Asad ur Rehman Gillani, Dr. Abid Mehmood, Dr. Anjam Ali Buttar, Malik Muhammad Akram, Ghulam Siddique, Muhammad Rafique Akhtar, Aamir Hameed and Afaq Tiwana were also present in the meeting.
Head of Finance Development of Habib Bank Aamir Hameed gave a detailed briefing with regard to providing goods and services to the farmers in Punjab.
While addressing the meeting, Provincial Minister for Agriculture Syed Hussain Jehanian Gardezi said that there is a need to start a rural development program for the economic prosperity of the farmers. Under this agreement, a multi-relationship will be created between Habib Bank Ltd., farmers and government. He said that a successful village model program would be introduced for the farmers by providing technology, credit and commerce facility.
The basic aim of the project is to provide professional support in the social sector to the farmers. The Minister said that a new system would be initiated to provide better services to the farmers with the collaboration of Irrigation, Forests, Fisheries, Education and Health Department. By virtue of which per acre production besides income of cultivators will also be increased.
Secretary Agriculture Asad ur Rehman Gillani said that Agriculture Department has the data of registered farmers which is more valid then the passbook. Agriculture Department is ensuring transparency in the provision of subsidy and interest-free loans to the farmers, he added.— HANDOUT
