The government of NWFP Wednesday assured the provincial assembly for the revival of the Cooperative Bank and Cooperative Societies to facilitate farmers in getting soft agricultural loans in the province. The matter was raised by the senior parliamentarian, Abdul Akbar Khan through a privilege motion in the NWFP Assembly.
The session of the provincial assembly has been convened after a period of three months. Deputy Speaker, Khushdil Khan Advocate chaired the proceedings in the absence of Speaker Kiramatullah Khan, who is on a foreign visit.
Taking the floor, Abdul Akbar Khan said that standing committees of the house prepare recommendations and reports that have been passed by the house. The government is duty bound to implement such recommendations and reports. However, he said that in case of the recommendations prepared by the house committee on co-operative societies in 2003 were never implemented. The act of the government, he said had broken the privilege of the house.
In support of his motion, Khan, who is also the parliamentary leader of PPP, said that those cooperative societies were established under the Cooperative Act and were providing soft loans to growers for purchase of seeds and fertiliser.
He said that Cooperative Bank was charging a very mark up of only 3 percent as compared to 15 to 16 percent mark up charged by other commercial banks. He said that provincial government has no concern with the provision of fund as it was provided by the federal government and disbursed through the Cooperative Bank.
The matter was referred to a standing committee of the provincial assembly in 2003, which unanimously decided the revival of the cooperative bank in the province. Three other provinces, he said disburse million of rupees amongst the growers. But, growers of NWFP, he said have been deprived of this facility.
The report, he said, was unanimously adopted by the house, saying that failure in the implementation of the report is tantamount to the breach of the privilege of the assembly. The chair asked the provincial minister for cooperative to answer the question. However, he was absent from the house and Mian Iftikhar Hussein, provincial Minister for Information has to reply it.
In reply to the question of Abdul Akbar Khan, Mian Iftikhar Hussein assured the house if the matter is such then they despite of economic constraints would provide this facility to the growers of the province. After getting assurance, he did not press for his privilege motion.
On the adjournment motion of the Haji Imtiaz Khan Shagai, a PPP MPA from district Mardan regarding the establishment of the faculties of the Abdul Wali Khan University Mardan in the Degree College Shankar, the chair urged the members' concerned and provincial minister for Higher Education, Qazi Mohammad Asad for amicable solution of the matter.
Haji Imtiaz Shagai said that the building of the college was established for accommodating of the students for taking admission in the first and second year. The establishment of the departments of the university in the building, he said deprive students of their education.
Abdul Akbar Khan, another PPP MPA supported Shagai. He said that the college after the said demise of the Iftikhar Khan Shagai, late member of the present assembly the college was named after Iftikhar Shagai. He said that the government is violating the unanimously passed resolution by the house over the issue.
In response to the adjournment motion, Minister for Higher Education, Qazi Asad said that the faculties have been shifted to the building for a period of four years. After the construction of the building for the university, the building would be handed over to the college.
The house was also informed that the provincial government is making estimation of the losses of the people due to the terrorism incidents. In response to the point of orders of Syed Qalbe Hassan and Akram Khan Durrani Senior Minister, Bashir Ahmad Bilour assured that all the heirs of all those killed or wounded in the recent bombings in Peshawar, Kohat and Bannu would be compensated.
Earlier, the chair announced the panel of chairmen that included Abdul Akbar Khan, Saqibullah Khan Chamkani, Mohammad Javed Abbasi and Gulistan Khan while the petition committee would be comprising Mohammad Javed Abbasi, Naeema Nisar, Yasmin Jasim, Nighat Orakzai, Mohammad Zamin Khan and Waqar Ahmad Khan.
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