Govt to open farmer facilitation centres

Fertiliser supply at official prices promised

LAHORE:

The Punjab government has decided to establish facilitation centres in every tehsil to provide quality pesticides to farmers at controlled prices.

This was announced in a meeting presided over by Chief Secretary Zahid Akhtar Zaman to review the cotton cultivation targets, measles situation and Suthra Punjab programme on Monday. All divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners from across the province attended ten video link meeting.

The chief secretary directed the commissioners of Bahawalpur, Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan to ensure full monitoring of the cotton crop.

He said the deputy commissioners must keep a close watch on the prices, supply and demand of urea fertiliser for the next two months and obtain the data of stocks and sales from the dealers on a daily basis.

The chief secretary also said that the health sector had been included in the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) set for the deputy commissioners.

He ordered the authorities to launch a crackdown before Eidul Azha against illegal sale points of cattle and form special squads for checking in this regard.

The secretaries of agriculture and health gave a detailed briefing in the meeting.

The agriculture secretary said the provincial target of cotton sowing had been set at four million acres and the crop had been cultivated on 3.2 million acres so far.

The health secretary said the department had issued instructions to all district teams to prevent measles.

He said that 3,210 confirmed cases of measles and 22 deaths had been reported in the province this year.

According to the secretary, 309 patients of measles are being treated in hospitals at present.

He mentioned that 19 medical camps had been established and clinics-on-wheels had been mobilised in the areas facing measles outbreak. The local government secretary also attended the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 4^th, 2024.