LAHORE: Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said on Tuesday that delivery of 40,000 Kissan cards to farmers through 136 agriculture centres in the province has begun.

She was presiding over an agriculture department’s meeting that reviewed progress on the initiatives taken by her government for the uplift of agriculture sector in the province.

“Delivery of 40,000 Kissan cards to farmers through 136 agriculture centres in the province has started today (Tuesday). Farmers can get these cards from agricultural centre in the agriculture office in each tehsil. They will be able to use these cards to buy agricultural inputs for wheat crop after October 15,” the chief minister said.

She said 500,000 farmers would benefit from Kissan Card scheme. “A farmer will be able to get a loan from Rs 30,000 per acre to Rs1.5 lakh through Kissan Card,” she added.

They will get cards through agriculture centres, says CM

Listing the initiatives taken by her government in Punjab, the CM said, “We are introducing Kissan cards, Agricultural Mall pilot project, Green Tractor Scheme, Agriculture Graduates Internship and Tube Well Solarization projects for the development of agriculture and socioeconomic uplift of farmers in Punjab,” said the chief minister.

Meanwhile, presiding over a meeting of the parliamentary and administrative secretaries here on Tuesday, Ms Nawaz accused the last PTI government of undoing the development made in 40 years in just four years of its tenure.

“The PTI government (2018-22) destroyed 40 years of development in [just] four years,” she said.

She regretted that the development work done during Shehbaz Sharif’s tenure as Punjab chief minister through the hard work was destroyed in a few years.

“I am working hard, but cannot claim ideal improvement in six months,” seh added.

The CM said no one can run the government single-handedly and everyone will have to work hard for the purpose.

She said the tendency to turn political opposition into hostility had harmed Pakistan a lot.

“Our schemes are not just on paper; the work has started on ground,” she said.

The CM said inflation was decreasing as earlier the price graph was going up, now it was coming down.

She said the bureaucracy is fully cooperating with her, adding that the performance of police and administration is improving.

She said the government was also considering launch of ‘Minority Card”.

Published in Dawn, September 11th, 2024