HARIPUR, Oct 31: The provincial agriculture minister, Mr Obeaidullah Jan, has said that the government is taking drastic measures to ensure wheat autarky by providing attractive credit package to the farmers.

This he said while presiding over a meeting of the officials of agriculture department and representatives of district government here on Wednesday. The meeting was also attended by District Nazim Dr Raja Aamir Zaman.

The minister said that to accomplish the goal of self-sufficiency in wheat Farm Services Centres were being established province-wide, through which the farmers would be given financial as well as technical assistance by the government.

The purpose of these centres, he said, was to help the farmers in getting fertilizers, seeds credit and agriculture related machinery.

He said the farmers, now being motivated to turn a vast area of arid zone into arable fields, could now be able to get fertilizers and seeds on subsidized rates from these centres.

Obaidullah Jan said that Rs3 billion had been earmarked by the provincial government for this scheme.

He, however, made it clear that only those farmers could benefit from this scheme who were registered with the FSC, which would be managed by the farmers of respective areas after the completion of the registration process in theses centres. An FSC, the minister said, had been given the target of 5000 farmers.

He informed the participants of meeting that the NWFP had successfully established its own seed industry where the preparation of seeds was underway and the seed industry would help farmers of this province to discourage import of seeds from other areas.

Later, the minister visited the Farm Services Centre near Panian and took oath from the office-bearers of this centre. He also handed over keys of three tractors and a cheque for Rs300,000 to the management.

Dacoity bid foiled: An attempt to loot the passengers of a ferry was foiled by two cops and a villager near Devi, some 27 km across the Tarbela lake here the other day.

According to FIR some 15 passengers boarded a motor boat en route Haripur from Darband.

When the ferry reached near village Devi, some 25km from here across the Tarbela lake, three passengers took out weapons and deprived the passengers of cash and valuables worth over 200,000 rupees.

However after the passengers got off the boat, the cops and a villager got hold of the dacoits. During the scuffle the dacoits sustained bullet injuries while the third one surrendered.