Five subsidy schemes for farmers dropped, PA told

Opposition lawmaker insists on constitution of medical board for Shehbaz Sharif

LAHORE: The provincial minister for agriculture Malik Nauman Ahmad Langrial informed the Punjab Assembly that five schemes have been closed out of total 18 schemes launched by the previous Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) government for subsidising farmers in different portions.

He was responding to a query asked by PML-N lawmaker Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf Ali that how much new schemes the PTI government has initiated for the benefit of farmers and how much have been closed from the on-going 18 schemes.

The minister Langrial said the scheme of the installation of drip and sprinkler system of irrigation and the provision of solar energy system to run it was closed down. The second scheme was the installation of the tunnel for cultivating non-seasonal vegetables, the third was the construction of ponds for irrigation and to flood out the access rainwater from cotton fields and the fourth scheme was the creation of a sunken field for access of rainwater for cotton fields. The fifth scheme was the provision of portable water pumps.

“It was the pilot project and they will analyse what benefit the farmers had obtained from these schemes,” he said. “However,” he said “we have allocated Rs7 billion for the rest schemes by increasing from Rs5 billion which the PML-N government had allocated in past.

An opposition lawmaker was not allowed to speak by Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari over the constitution of a medical board for former chief minister Shehbaz Sharif when he made clear to the House that the government would be responsible if something unpleasant happens with his leader.

Waris Shad of PML-N stood up for speaking on point of order, the deputy speaker first allowed him to speak as he started his speech throwing light over the importance of democracy. “Democracy is the best way out for the country but the history tells us that those exercises bore no fruit whenever the rulers, having a grudge, implicated each other in different cases,” he remarked.

He said no accountability was being made across the broad, adding his leader Shehbaz Sharif had passed over 70 days in NAB’s custody but nothing has surfaced. “This is not a point of order. Sorry, sorry this is not a point of order, you are a senior member please maintain the decorum of the House and be seated please,” the deputy speaker responded. Despite Shad’s mike was switched off but he continued lamenting that “I am making clear in the House that country’s top court had also advised for a medical board after reports established that Shehbaz Sharif is suffering from cancer”. “It is very clear that you (deputy speaker) and this House will be responsible if something unpleasant happened to Shehbaz.”

During the question-answer session, Malik Nauman Ahmad Langrial updated the House that the provincial government was going to introduce legislation in coming weeks to get rid of unregistered middlemen running the market’s business illegal. He said they proposed in legislation to impose Rs50,000 fine over those middlemen working illegally without licences. He was responding to a query whether any law was being made to stop such unregistered middlemen.

A PML-N MPA Mian Naseer Ahmed grilled the Punjab government’s ministers over giving wrong answers in agenda of the Punjab Assembly as well as sharing incorrect information on official websites. Another PML-N legislator Muhammad Arshad also raised his reservation over wrong answer given by the concerned department. He had asked the number of veterinary hospital and dispensaries in district Sahiwal.

Naseer first pointed out that the answer given by the agriculture department in question 14 of agenda was not correct. He said he had asked how much farmers had been given the benefit of free wheat seeds while the answer was showing the difference of over 16,000 bags of seeds when it was multiplied with the given numbers. He asked who would be responsible of those missing bags.

Naseer also lamented the non-seriousness of the irrigation department when he pointed out that whether he should accept the answer of the irrigation department or the government’s official website. He said he had asked how much dams had been completed in the province and the department answered him that 58 small dams had been completed but astonishing enough the government’s official website is telling 12 dams had been completed. He asked which answer could be deemed correct.

Minister for Public Prosecution Chaudhry Zaheeruddin said the answer given in the agenda be considered correct answer. Naseer said the nation was being mocked by giving false information on websites. The deputy speaker said the ministry should seriously take notice of it and the official website should also be updated. However, the minister told the House that the government was going to construct more small dams in coming five years at Chakwal, Jehlum, Fateh Jang, Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

However, the House also passed four resolutions including one belonging to the opposition benches while one was pended after Law Minister Raja Basharat said social welfare’s minister was not available in the PA. The treasury legislators seemed astonished when either luckily or unluckily the resolution of PML-N Hina Pervez Butt was passed.

Despite the opposition made attempt to House proceeding by pointing out quorum but this time treasury maintained the required number in the House. Finally, the agenda items were finished, Deputy Speaker Mazari adjourned the House for Wednesday (today) at 11:00 am.