World Bank to provide resources for water management

With a view to attaining better water management, the local farmers' organisations have been empowered while the discretionary powers of the government officials with regard to recovery of water rate, had been done away with.
Punjab Chief Minister, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, said this while talking to a World Bank delegation, which led by its Vice-President for South Asia, Praful C. Patel, called on him, here on Tuesday. Punjab Chief Secretary Salman Siddique, Chairman Planning and Development Salman Ghani, Secretary Irrigation Arif Nadeem and the World Bank's Country Director in Pakistan, John Wall, were present on this occasion.
The Chief Minister informed the delegation that in order to check the water wastage and to fully benefit from the existing water reservoirs, a comprehensive strategy was being pursued.
He said that through direct people's participation in the development process of the province, social sector was being strengthened. He pointed out that the concept of the peoples' participation had been promoted having empowered the farmers' local organisations in matters pertaining to the betterment of the canal system and water management.
He expressed satisfaction that better management of water resources was exercising positive effects on the agriculture sector. The present irrigation system was being computerised and just water apportionment and the extensive surveillance of the usage of water for agricultural purposes, was helping in improving the irrigation sectors, he added.
He expressed satisfaction that as a result of the reforms in the fields of education, health, agriculture, irrigation and other sectors, improved results were accruing with regard to the performance of the same. Contending that the goal of economic development and self-sufficiency was impossible without the increase in the literacy rate, the Chief Minister said that the government had taken result-oriented pragmatic measures.
He pointed out that in order to provide modern health facilities to the masses, Health Sector Reforms Programme had been launched under which Rural Health Centres and Basic Health Units, in addition to the Tehsil and District Headquarters Hospitals, were being upgraded. Likewise, the process of land revenue record computerisation was swiftly being completed. This would help eliminate the difficulties being faced by the masses with regard to transfer of properties, acquisition of documents and other revenue related matters, he added. Meanwhile, he also applauded the World Bank's co-operation regarding the protection of the Lahore cultural heritage.
Speaking on this occasion, the World Bank's Vice President for South Asia, Praful C. Patel expressed satisfaction that the reforms made in the fields of education, agriculture and irrigation, were yielding better results while the government had the full capability to alleviate poverty and to bring about changes in the field of social development.
Meanwhile, he assured that the World Bank would provide substantial resources with regard to the better water management.