SARGODHA, March 28: The Punjab government will provide residential plots to over 100,000 homeless and grant proprietary to the landless tenants.

This was stated by Punjab Governor Lt-Gen Khalid Maqbool (retired) at a meeting with Nazims, deputies and other officials here on Thursday.

Pledging to award land in a couple of months, the governor said the present regime had reduced the prices of plots to Rs750 a marla payable on easy instalments while the rent had been dropped to Rs10 per annum. The government would grant proprietary to around 100,000 people in Cholistan, he added.

Over 18,000 acres had already been distributed among tenants and the scheme would be extended to the other districts in the Punjab, he said. He distributed allotment certificates of 470 acres among 41 tenants and of residential ahatas among 400 families.

The government had decided that it would procure wheat at Rs300 per maund and the target might be enhanced up to 3 million tons, he said, adding gunny bags would be provided to the growers.

He assured the farmers that he had directed the staff concerned to establish seed grading and purchasing centres at union council level and the government would provide subsidy from the Khushal Pakistan Programme (KPP) to enhance the agricultural yield.

He said teachers and doctors would be recruited in various schools and health institutions to meet the shortage in the district.

Expressing concern over increase in cattle lifting, the governor assured the police had been directed to tighten noose against the thieves.

Mr Maqbool announced a maternity and an embroidery centre would be set up in Sillanwali besides construction of the Sillanwali-Jhambra Road.

He maintained the government had granted Rs500 million to the representatives of the district for various development projects.