Murghi Paal, other schemes face the axe
Citing the ongoing financial crisis, the federal government has announced to put an end to three major projects of former prime minister Imran Khan including the Murghi Paal, Katta Farba, and Katta Bachao schemes by June 30. Sources privy to the development revealed that the Livestock and Dairy Development Department and the Rawalpindi Poultry Research Institute have been informed about the decision through a circular.
According to the official circular, funds for one batch of these three projects have been released, and the rest have been withdrawn. The Poultry Research Institute will distribute the last batch of 350 sets of subsidised desi chicken in May, with the price of each chicken set increasing from Rs1,050 to Rs1,200. All the officers and staff working on these three projects have been instructed to return to their previous posts in their respective departments from June 1.
Sources said over 7,000 applications were received for chicken sets in Rawalpindi, but only 350 applicants have been selected. Under the Murghi Paal Programme, applicants will receive chicken sets at discounted prices. During Imran Khan's tenure, a set of 5 desi chicks and one hen was provided at Rs1,050 with a subsidy of Rs450. For fresh meat of desi chicken, a set of 6 chickens was given for Rs1,050. The sources said the final disbursement to 350 applicants will be made by the second week of the following month. These hens, weighing about 900 grams each, will start laying eggs one and a half to two months after delivery and are expected to lay up to 330 eggs per year.
The Poultry Research Institute has produced these chickens by crossing Desi and Aseel hens in its 12 poultry research centres across Punjab, which are located in Rawalpindi, Attock, Jhelum, Dina, Gujarat, Sargodha, Mianwali, DG Khan, Multan, Bahawalpur, Bhakkar, and Bhawalnagar. Over the past four years, a total of 3.5 million chickens were distributed across Punjab. Even now, there are over one million applications in 40 districts of Punjab.