May 8, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 5, 1424

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MIANWALI, May 7: Allocation for education, health and agriculture sectors will be increased by three times in the budget for fiscal year 2003-04.

This was claimed by provincial Irrigation Minister Chaudhry Aamir Sultan Cheema during his visit here on Wednesday.

He said the Punjab government has decided to set up 10 hydro-electric units at canals to produce 600 MW electricity which would be supplied to the farmers at reduced rates.

A special relief package for Mianwali farmers was in the offing and it would be announced by the chief minister soon.

Mr Cheema said a flat-rate scheme for water revenue was under consideration.

He announced Rs4 million for the bricklining of 1-R and 2-R canals, Rs2.5 million for Paikhel lift irrigation scheme, and Rs9 million for digging and bricklining of Bhonki branch.

Later, Mr Cheema said at an open kutchery that the government has exempted small farmers possessing 12.5 acres of irrigated or 25 acres of ‘barani’ (rain-fed) land from agriculture income tax and reduced the markup rate on agriculture loans to 9 per cent.

He said farmers would be given 33 per cent concession on their power bills of tubewells from May 1 to October 30 2003.

He said agriculture banks have been directed to provide soft loans for the purchase of tractors and other machinery.

He said farmers would be given loans on soft terms for the purchase of tractors and other farming machinery.

BAN: The district Nazim has, under section 144 CrPC, stopped the land-owners from lifting wheat from the fields unless they pay share to their tenants.

Incidents of clashes were reported from many places among land owners and tenants over distribution of wheat.

ROAD APPROVED: Provincial Revenue Minister Gul Hameed Khan Rokhri has told a meeting of the district heads that the chief minister has sanctioned the construction of 33-kilometre-long Mianwali-Sargodha road.

He said the new carpeted road would be built at a cost of Rs110 million. It would start from Mianwali and go up to the border of the district near Qaidabad.

Mr Rokhri said a feasibility report has been sent to the Punjab government and expressed the hope that funds would be released during the coming financial year.

He said by the completion of the road, journey between Mianwali and Lahore would become safe.