All set for distribution of subsidised chickens
Preparations have been completed for the revival of the “Murghi Paal” scheme introduced by former prime minister Imran Khan.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government has slashed funds for the “Murghi Paal” scheme and the price of a new chicken set has also been increased. Now, a set having five chickens and a rooster will be provided to the citizens for Rs1,500 instead of the subsidised price of Rs1,050 when the scheme was launched across the country in 2019.
Soon after the dissolution of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, the Rawalpindi livestock department put a halt to Murghi Paal and Katta Farba and Katta Paal schemes in the Rawalpindi division. However, on the high public demand, the federal government led by the PML-N revived the schemes in June.
Initially sold for Rs1,050 per set, the price was revised to Rs1,130, then to Rs1,400 and now has been increased to Rs1,500. The subsidy given on these sets has been slashed by 50 per cent and distribution among households has been halved.
Since the scheme’s inception three years ago, the Poultry Research Institute distributed a total of 2.5 million chickens at the subsidised rate of Rs1,050 all over the province.
Sources said that 300 sets of chickens will be distributed among the public next month.
According to Poultry Research Institute sources, top officials, elected members and businessmen have also forwarded a demand for these cheap chicken sets.
The Poultry Research Institute produces these chickens in its 12 poultry centres. There are two types of projects of the institute. The first project is the free delivery of indigenous eggs to homes. The second one is the provision of fresh indigenous chicken meat. The second project involves 12 chickens. The price of this set is also fixed.
Poultry Research Institute Assistant Director Dr Atif said that these indigenous chickens lay up to 250 eggs annually. He said that these chickens require no special diet and live quite well on leftover kitchen scraps such as fruit and vegetable peels, used tea leaves and residual pieces of bread.
“We will be distributing these poultry sets across the province next month, starting with Rawalpindi,” said Dr Atif, adding that “the entire flock is born and bred at the institute’s 12 centres throughout Punjab”. The poultry farms are located in Rawalpindi, Dina, Jhelum, Gujrat, Dera Ghazi Khan, Mianwali, Bhakkar, Lahore, Attock, Sargodha, Multan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar.
“We only raise chickens of the finest breeds and do not take any funds for their rearing from the government,” Dr Atif said earlier.
Under the poultry scheme, thousands of flocks of domestic and farm chickens will be distributed across Punjab including in the Rawalpindi division.
Earlier, an official said that with the end of the PTI government at the centre, the implementation of the poultry programme had been practically stopped.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 7th, 2022.