Senate panel seeks waiver of agri loans for ex-FATA farmers

The committee was given an update on the status of non-payment of salaries and pension to the levies and Khassadars

ISLAMABAD: Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) on Friday recommended to waive off the agricultural loans in order to provide relief to small farmers, an official statement said.

Regarding agricultural loans to small farmers from erstwhile FATA (Federal Administrated Tribal Areas), the Committee was told that the total amount of outstanding loans given to people from ex-FATA between 2009 and 2012 was Rs471 million, out of which only Rs30 million was agricultural loan.

The meeting was held under the Chairmanship of Senator Hidayatullah and was attended among others Senators Hilalur Rehman, Sajjad Hussain Turi, Shamim Afridi, Najma Hameed, Secretary SAFRON, Member IR Policy Wing, CEO TESCO and officials from State Bank and relevant ministries.

The committee was also given update on the status of non-payment of salaries and pension to the personnel of Levies and Khassadar working in Kurram and Orakzai Agencies.

The committee directed the DCs of merged districts to complete work on proposed and recommended ADP projects for the year.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 30^th, 2019.