The treasury members Tuesday heaped criticism on ministers and raised questions on their performance, urging the government to take initiatives for the development of agriculture sector by giving incentives to small farmers. The opposition members also supported the views of treasury MPs by thumping desks and raising slogans.
Mohammad Raza Hayat Hiraj of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) said the party lawmakers are helpless as the ministers are not paying heed to their problems. He said the government is ignoring the agriculture sector and is not paying attention to small farmers. "I can't talk to any minister about the plight of small farmers. The members who are sitting here are helpless and even they cannot talk with ministers about their problems. The House should pass a resolution binding on the ministers to pay heed to the issues put forth by members," he said.
He said farmers are not getting the real price of their produce. He urged the government to give them incentives for increasing production of sugarcane, rice, cotton, etc. He proposed to the Speaker to constitute a House committee to examine the problems and needs of farmers and present its report within three days. Tehmina Daultana, the die-hard lawmaker of PML-N, also questioned the performance of ministers saying," we need to work to get better, the ministers are doing their best but they have to do more."
She urged the government to pay attention to agriculture sector and facilitate farmers for development of the sector. He said that 70 percent of our population is dependent on agriculture and farmers are complaining that they are not getting the profit of their produce they deserve. Farmers were of the view that they are spending more on products than their actual value, she said. If we will not facilitate the rural population directly linked with agriculture they will move towards cities for earning better livelihood, she said.
Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs, Sheikh Aftab Ahmed said this is a serious issue and a committee should be constituted comprising members from four provinces with ample experience in agriculture sector. He said the committee should examine the problems being faced by farmers and present its repot within seven days.
Opposition members of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Nawab Yousaf Talpur while supporting the views of treasury members said that the PML-N government always ignored the farmers and agriculture sector. He said the price of wheat should be fixed by the government before cultivation. Awais Ahmed Leghari of PML-N said the Economic Co-ordination Committee (ECC) had fixed the price of cotton, but Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP) failed to get ECC decision implemented. He said the Ministry of National Food Security and Research should also play a pivotal role for uplift of agriculture sector.
PML-N MNA Muhammad Moeen Watto said agriculturalists are facing losses and urging the government to fix price of wheat before cultivation. He said the government should give incentives to small farmers for development of agriculture sector. Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi while presiding referred the issue to concerned Standing Committee on National Food Security and Research and gave 3-day time for submitting report in the House. He said if the standing committee is not able to decide in the light of proposals given by the members, a special committee would be constituted for this purpose.
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