SIALKOT, Aug 23: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released a Rs3.52 billion grant for the development of `barani areas in Sialkot and Narowal districts.

This was said by officials of Agency for Barani Areas Development (ABAD) while speaking at a workshop on “Sustainable livelihood for barani areas development” held here on Thursday under the auspices of ABAD.

They said the project would help provide better look after of the available natural resources, maximum job opportunities by promoting agricultural development schemes and training to local women in barani areas.

Addressing the participants of the workshop, International Project Specialist Mr Richard Bond and Project Benefits Monitoring Evaluation experts Muhammad Nasir and Nouman Ghani said the ADB-funded programme would also provide guidance to the respective government functionaries for upgrading the agricultural sector at local level, besides advancing maximum soft loans to small farmers.

Sialkot DCO Capt Atta Muhammad Khan (retired), ABAD’s district project manager Arshad Mehmood Asim, EDO (agriculture) Ehsan Ahmad Leghari, the EDO (finance) and others attended the workshop.