Cabinet meeting: Punjab set to purchase 4m tons of wheat
375 centres to be set up for procurement drive starting from April 20.
LAHORE:
The provincial government is set to purchase 4 million tons of wheat during this year’s procurement drive, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday.
He was speaking at a meeting of the provincial cabinet at Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
Earlier, the cabinet approved the 2011 Wheat Procurement Policy, the draft Parks and Horticulture Authority Bill and amendments to the Punjab Entertainment Duty Act of 1958.
The meeting also approved and renamed the Punjab Semen Quality Control Act of 2010 to the Punjab Livestock Breeding Act 2011. A Livestock Breeding Control Unit would be established under the Semen Control Quality Act of 2010.
Shahbaz said 375 procurement centres would be set up across the province this year. He said the government had made excellent arrangements at these centres and was especially working to ensure that farmers were not exploited by the middlemen.
He said wheat would be purchased directly from the farmers.
Shahbaz said distribution of gunny bags would begin from April 18 and the procurement would start from April 20. He directed the authorities concerned to make sure that the gunny bags were distributed equitably and that no one was discriminated against. He said that out of the 1.2 million metric tons wheat exported from the country, 800,000 metric tons was produced in the Punjab.
He urged the Food, Agriculture and Industries departments to evolve a joint strategy for the procurement drive. He directed them to build more silos this year so that more wheat could be stored and wastage avoided.
He said the cabinet committee should hold negotiations with the standing committee concerned regarding the Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Amendment) Bill of 2008.
He said the Parks and Horticulture Authority Law would help in the provision of a clean and healthy environment to the people. He said authorities would be set up at all divisional headquarters on the pattern of the authority functioning in Lahore.
He said a special force would be set up under these authorities to enhance security at the public parks.
He said exemption from entertainment duty granted anywhere in the province would continue. He directed the authorities concerned to withdraw entertainment duty on chairlifts. He said chairlifts were popular among people and should not be exempted from the duty. He directed the excise secretary to form special teams that would raid the places where chairlifts were operating to ensure implementation. He said the duty on horse racing, musical and fashion shows would not be withdrawn.
Earlier, Food Secretary Irfan Elahi briefed the meeting about the wheat production in the province. He also talked about the arrangements made by the department for the upcoming procurement drive.
He said the gunny bags would be distributed on the basis of the revenue officials’ survey reports (Girdawari).
He said 50 per cent bags would be distributed in the first 15 days of the drive starting April 18, 30 per cent in the next 15 days and 20 per cent in the last 15 days.
Excise Secretary Khwaja Shamail and Livestock Secretary Capt (r) Jehanzeb Khan briefed the meeting about the Entertainment Duty Act and the Punjab Semen Quality Control Act of 2010, respectively.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2011.
The provincial government is set to purchase 4 million tons of wheat during this year’s procurement drive, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday.
He was speaking at a meeting of the provincial cabinet at Chief Minister’s Secretariat.
Earlier, the cabinet approved the 2011 Wheat Procurement Policy, the draft Parks and Horticulture Authority Bill and amendments to the Punjab Entertainment Duty Act of 1958.
The meeting also approved and renamed the Punjab Semen Quality Control Act of 2010 to the Punjab Livestock Breeding Act 2011. A Livestock Breeding Control Unit would be established under the Semen Control Quality Act of 2010.
Shahbaz said 375 procurement centres would be set up across the province this year. He said the government had made excellent arrangements at these centres and was especially working to ensure that farmers were not exploited by the middlemen.
He said wheat would be purchased directly from the farmers.
Shahbaz said distribution of gunny bags would begin from April 18 and the procurement would start from April 20. He directed the authorities concerned to make sure that the gunny bags were distributed equitably and that no one was discriminated against. He said that out of the 1.2 million metric tons wheat exported from the country, 800,000 metric tons was produced in the Punjab.
He urged the Food, Agriculture and Industries departments to evolve a joint strategy for the procurement drive. He directed them to build more silos this year so that more wheat could be stored and wastage avoided.
He said the cabinet committee should hold negotiations with the standing committee concerned regarding the Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Amendment) Bill of 2008.
He said the Parks and Horticulture Authority Law would help in the provision of a clean and healthy environment to the people. He said authorities would be set up at all divisional headquarters on the pattern of the authority functioning in Lahore.
He said a special force would be set up under these authorities to enhance security at the public parks.
He said exemption from entertainment duty granted anywhere in the province would continue. He directed the authorities concerned to withdraw entertainment duty on chairlifts. He said chairlifts were popular among people and should not be exempted from the duty. He directed the excise secretary to form special teams that would raid the places where chairlifts were operating to ensure implementation. He said the duty on horse racing, musical and fashion shows would not be withdrawn.
Earlier, Food Secretary Irfan Elahi briefed the meeting about the wheat production in the province. He also talked about the arrangements made by the department for the upcoming procurement drive.
He said the gunny bags would be distributed on the basis of the revenue officials’ survey reports (Girdawari).
He said 50 per cent bags would be distributed in the first 15 days of the drive starting April 18, 30 per cent in the next 15 days and 20 per cent in the last 15 days.
Excise Secretary Khwaja Shamail and Livestock Secretary Capt (r) Jehanzeb Khan briefed the meeting about the Entertainment Duty Act and the Punjab Semen Quality Control Act of 2010, respectively.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 10th, 2011.