SIALKOT, Oct 8: Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool assured farmers on Wednesday that they would be amply compensated for the loss they had been bearing because of skirmishes around border villages in Sialkot and Narowal.

Talking to a delegation of villagers, most of them farmers, during his visit to an Agriculture Development Bank branch in Shakargarh, he said the government was aware of the problems the local farmers had been facing. He vowed to resolve their problems.

The farmers informed the governor that landmines had been planted in their fields by the security forces for defence due to which they could not sow seasonal crops, which were the only source of earning for them.

The farmers said they had been going through financial crunch, reminding the governor of the Punjab government’s pledge to offer them financial relief, which they were still awaiting. They also said they were forced by the ADBP to pay back the loans for which they had no capacity.

The governor expressed concern over the bank’s failure to facilitate the poor growers. He directed the ADBP authorities to make all-out efforts to provide soft-term agricultural loans to the growers without any discrimination.

Addressing a public meeting, the governor said: “Nobody will be allowed to stoke hatred through sectarian violence.”

“Some anti-state elements are trying to upset the smooth democratic process for their vested interests,” said the Punjab governor, who also urged the people to refrain from indulging in sectarian activities.

He iterated that the government was committed to launching development projects in backward areas of the province. The district governments were equally keen on carrying

out development works, he added.

Earlier, Shakargarh Nazim Dr Niamat Ali Javed informed the governor that development work on the hockey stadium would be completed in time.

NAROWAL: The governor also visited the offices of the district council, Nadra, Gepco and a telephone exchange.

He directed Nadra functionaries to speed up delivery of the national identity cards.

At a Shakargarh telephone exchange, he asked the officials to connect the exchange with fibre optics at the earliest.

Narowal District Nazim Col Javed Safdar Kahlon (retired) briefed the governor on various development projects.

He said the Narowal Public School was being establishedon 25.7 acres at a cost of Rs150 million.