LAHORE, Nov 29: The Punjab government will start the allotment process of subsistence units of 112,324-acre agricultural land among landless farmers in 18 districts of the province from next week.

This was stated by Punjab Colonies Minister Mian Manazar Ali Ranjha while talking to people, who called on him to offer Eid greetings on Saturday. He said Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi would inaugurate the allotment of land under this scheme from Sargodha.

He said subsistence units of land, measuring 12.5 acres each, would be allotted to farmers at nominal prices payable in easy instalments in 20 years. Application forms for the allotment of lands were being printed and would be available from the offices of district revenue officers in the next week.

He said the District Scrutiny committees were being formed in every district to scrutinise the applications for the allotment of the subsistence units of land. Ballots would be held for the allotment in the districts where the number of applicants exceeded the area of land.

The minister said 13,992 acres were available for allotment in Bahawalpur, 3,214 acres in Bahawalnagar, 16,432 acres in Rahim Yar Khan, 2,463 acres in Khanewal, 19,807 acres in Dera Ghazi Khan, 10,004 acres in Rajanpur, 13,775 acres in Layyah and 185 acres in Sargodha.

Around 2,236 acres were available in Mianwali, 2,259 acres in Khushab, 101 acres in Vehari, 9,678 acres in Jhang, 2,874 acres in Faisalabad, 12,448 acres in Muzaffargarh, 1,060 acres in Sheikhupura, 101 acres in Multan, 500 acres in Pakpattan and 658 acres in Okara, he said.