Pakistan

Agriculture: Research and innovation, the way forward

Arid varsity to set up facility for studying farms and livestock.

Express January 25, 2011

ISLAMABAD: The foundation stone of a veterinary hospital and research farm was laid down at Koont near Gujar Khan on Monday.

The research facility will be part of the Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arif Agriculture University Rawalpindi.

As many as eight field laboratories will be set up costing Rs22.5 million. A new admin block is also being set up which will cost around Rs21.34 million, while three glass houses, one green house and farming tunnel will be put up for another Rs8.2 million. The project will take one year to complete.

Furthermore, the hospital will cost Rs15 million and will have the facilities of indoor and outdoor clinics and semen labs. These laboratories, glass and green houses will be helpful in improving and strengthening research in agriculture.

The hospital will not only cater to the needs of health and management of animals but also serve as a place for regular clinical examination and surgical operations. It will also be used as a teaching and research facility for students of Veterinary Medicine.

“The university is playing a vital role in imparting agricultural education and conducting research for the farmers’ community,” said the Vice Chancellor of the university Dr Khalid Mahmood Khan. “It has always encouraged innovative and qualitative research and will provide all facilities to its students and faculty,” he added. The VC asked the researchers to work for self-reliance of the country in the field of agriculture.

In 2007, the university acquired 1,952 kanals of arable land for research purposes at Koont on Chakwal Road, which lies at a distance of 35km from Mandra.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 25^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (1)

SOHAIL SAFDAR | 13 years ago | Reply University of Arid Agriculture, Rawalpindi (UAAR) illegaly acquired 2,000 kanals piece of land on Chakwal Road at Mouza Koont near Gujar Khan. The University has taken the possession of land with force with out following all necessary acquisition procedure on Saturday, February 02, 2007. The main purpose of acquiring this land as described to the poor villagers is that the land will be used for establishment of Animals, Poultry and Fish Farm, Establishment of Feed Mill, Construction of Veterinary Hospital and Construction of Slaughter Houses. University also promised to provide clean water through tubewell to the Village Koont. Beside this UAAR promised to provide following facilities to the effecties. Jobs to Effectivies. Natural Gas. Water to Agricultural Land. Within one year, but after two years UAAR provide jobs to only those selected People who are the voters and supporters of Nazim (Who is believed to be behind this illegal act.) there, UAAR still donot provide other facilities as promised. While Acquiring land there were a huge huge promises that university will offer jobs for Effectivies, provide water for drinking as well as arigation, and natural gas.but after 3 years nothing happend for poor villagers,On the other hand university use this 2000 piece of land for there bussiness purposes ,Employees from other cities i.e sargodha are hired there The Acquired land is purly Agricultural land having price between 80,000 to 100,000 Rs Per Kanal. But 27,000 Rs per Kanal is likely to pay to the Villagers after detecting many processing charges, Most of the effectives other than Nazim's Voters get only 18,000 to 20,000 Rs per Kanal. People Protests Against this act but they are warned to stop protesting otherwise they will be arrested and tourched.

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