BAHAWALPUR: Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday it was his government’s vision to double the income of farmers that would eventually lead to an increase in the country’s income.

Addressing a farmers’ convention at the Baghdadul Jadid campus of Islamia University (IUB) where he launched the Kissan Card scheme, PM Khan referred to a number of measures adopted by his government to benefit the farmers. He said the country had over the past few years faced a tough situation, but now it was marching on the road to progress. He called the 8.4 million farmers of the country an asset whose prosperity was the prime concern for the government.

Mr Khan congratulated Chief Minister Usman Buzdar on the launch of Kissan Card and termed the scheme “a revolution” that would directly benefit the farmers’ community in Punjab. He said he would also ask the Balochistan government to introduce this scheme in the province and wherever his party formed the government.

PM Khan also announced the launch of a national health insurance scheme, claiming that even the rich countries could not afford to undertake such an initiative. He said that health cards would be distributed among a million families by the end of the year so that they could get free treatment from any hospital of their choice.

Launches Kissan Card scheme for Punjab, announces health insurance

The prime minister also inaugurated various projects at IUB, including the Nat­io­nal Cotton Breeding Institute, Inter-cropping Research Centre, a world-class nursing college and a cricket stadium. He also inaugurated a 2.5-megawatt solar project that has the capacity to not only meet the needs of the university, but also provide additional power to Multan Electric Power Company.

The power centre will generate electricity at Rs1.7 per unit and benefit the national exchequer with Rs455 million in 25 years.

PM Khan lauded the research work carried out in various fields of agriculture by IUB Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Athar Mehboob, Prof Iqbal Bandesha and other experts of the university. Prof Mehboob and Prof Bandesha were also awarded shields for their research work.

Earlier, in his welcome address, CM Buzdar said that 27,694 lots (half an acre each) would be allotted to the farmers in Cholistan and the foundation stone of the south Punjab secretariat in Bahawalpur would be laid by the prime minister soon.

He said the PTI-led government had empowered and given a new identity to south Punjab, while the rules of business for the secretariat were being formulated and Bahawalpur would be brought on a par with other developed cities.

Moreover, the record yield of seven crops had generated an additional in­­come of Rs600 billion for Punjab. The chief minister said that 187 uplift projects worth Rs36bn were under way, while another 136 schemes worth Rs12bn would be undertaken soon in Bahawal­pur. He said that 79 roads projects would be completed in the district, adding that work on 31 projects for provision and disposal of water was in progress. An industrial estate would also be established at a cost of Rs7bn, he added.

The convention was attended by federal ministers Khusro Bakhtiar and Tariq Cheema, MNA Farooq Azam Malik, Punjab Finance Minister Hashim Jawan Bakht and a number of provincial ministers and parliamentarians.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2021