LAHORE: The province of Punjab has witnessed a remarkable increase in the area under cotton cultivation, which is a record accomplishment after several years, with cotton being cultivated on approximately five million acres.

This was revealed in a meeting chaired by the caretaker Punjab Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi. The meeting focused on reviewing measures to ensure an adequate supply of agricultural medicines and cotton production. Protective strategies to safeguard cotton from insects were also discussed.

Addressing the meeting, the CM emphatically stated that cotton should not be sold for less than Rs 8500 under any circumstances. He assigned the task of ensuring the sale of cotton at the fixed price to all the commissioners, emphasizing that the hard work of farmers deserves full compensation.

The commissioners, deputy commissioners, and related officers were directed to continue their field visits to monitor the situation closely. Secretary Agricultural briefed the CM on current situation of cultivation of cotton.

Khalid Khokhar, the President of Pakistan Kisan Etihad, praised Mohsin Naqvi's measures for promoting record cotton cultivation. He said that the region witnessed a high-quality cotton crop after 31 years, which was attributed to the efforts of Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi and his team.

Moreover, the caretaker CM strongly denounced the dissemination of baseless propaganda by certain elements regarding the acquisition of new vehicles for officers.

He emphasized that providing vehicles to field officers is essential for enabling them to carry out their duties effectively. Depriving officers of vehicles could compel them to seek unauthorized methods to fulfill their transportation needs, he added. Given the vast number of government employees in Punjab, totaling 1.4 million, carrying out fieldwork without vehicles poses a significant obstacle. To address this issue, the government has also arranged for the repair of 1,500 vehicles, the CM stated.

Mohsin Naqvi argued that expecting officers to fulfill their monitoring responsibilities in the field without proper transportation is unjust. Insisting that officers be sent to the field without providing them with vehicles is an excessive and unreasonable demand, he added. He asserted that critics opposing the acquisition of new vehicles are, in essence, promoting corruption.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023