Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has termed agriculture as the backbone of the country's economy, and said the government is making all out efforts to uplift the sector. He was inaugurating wheat-sowing ceremony in at Kala Shah Kaku, a rural town near here on Wednesday.
The Prime Minister, himself a farmer, stressed upon the agriculturists to toe the path of modernisation, including research in agriculture. Besides ensuring provision of high quality seeds, he said the government was spending eight billion rupees on improvement of watercourses to check seepage of irrigation water so as to ensure that it reached tail ends. Gilani, talking of Rs 32 billion being provided as subsidy on fertilisers, said that wheat support price had been increased substantially from Rs 425 to Rs 950 with the aim to encourage farmers for growing maximum amount of wheat.
He said that Passco had already started procurement of rice and the government would ensure that the growers got fixed price. The Prime Minister, referring to "Benazir Income Support Programme" aimed at improving the lot of the downtrodden, said that the Federal government had earmarked Rs 34 billion for financial assistance to the financially weak segments of society.
He said the Punjab government was also executing a programme with Rs 20 billion to ameliorate the lot of the poor. Referring to the problem of electricity shortage, he termed the load shedding as one of the essential challenges faced by the country.
He said that the Federal government initiated work on a number of projects, and expressed the hope the government would overcome this problem within two years. Referring to lower water discharge in Chenab from India, the Prime Minister said he had discussed this problem with the Indian Prime Minister, who had assured him that Pakistan's share of water would be ensured according to Indus Water Treaty.
The Prime Minister, referring to political endeavour by his government, said that the government had fulfilled a number of promises made by it. He said appointing the leader of opposition in the National Assembly, including appointment of Chairman of Public Accounts Committee were feathers of their cap. The Prime Minister said that they would fulfil their promise of granting provincial autonomy to the provinces, adding that co-operation was needed from the people of the country to counter menace of terrorism.
Gilani said that in time of political uncertainties, they and other opposition forces gave sacrifices and went to prison for the cause of democracy. He promised that after lifting ban on student and labour unions, they would fulfil the promise of giving independence to media. The Prime Minister said that people were the source of strength and their struggle was on to make the Parliament supreme.
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