KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has made it clear that PTI-led coalition government was eager to streamline Agriculture department and ensure increase in quality and quantity of agricultural produce like all other sectors of life for which he underlined concrete and result oriented measures. He vowed his government would neither allow monopoly nor exploitation of the masses including the poor farmer community.
He said Market Committee has been dissolved and administrator appointed for this very purpose while this step proved successful with noticing decreasing trend in rates of essential commodities in past few months especially during the holy month of Ramazan unlike the past years. He was presiding over a high level meeting of the Department of Agriculture about Market Committee here in his office at CM Secretariat Peshawar.
The meeting was attended by Provincial Minister for Public Health Engineering Shah Farman Khan, Minister Agriculture Ikramullah Gandapur, Minister Mineral Development Ziaullah Afridi, Minister Revenue Ali Amin Gandapur, Minister Jails Malik Qasim Khattak, MPA Shaukat Ali Yousufzai, Secretaries of agriculture, law, Advocate General and other authorities concerned.
The meeting thoroughly reviewed demand and supply position of the food items to market and bazaars and matters relating to the price fixation and role of the market committee and took several crucial decisions in this regard. It was decided that instead of promptly reviving the Market Committee the concerned Provincial Act of Agriculture & Livestock Produce Market 2007 would be amended first in light of 18th constitutional amendment while the relevant functions of Federal Ministry of Food & Agriculture Market Development would also be incorporated in it accordingly. The Minister Agriculture assured immediate action in this regard by drafting comprehensive new act at floor of KP Assembly while the chief minister directed for a consultative meeting on it as well so that relief could be provided to the masses in real context.
It is worth mentioning here that some three months back the chief minister had dissolved the Market Committee after noticing anomalies in this respect. He had asked that growers, merchants, consumers and other concerned people should be given effective representation in the committee. He had attributed the sky rocketing price in past regimes to the criminal silence of the rulers besides domestic and international factors. He had also taken strong notice that instead of taking immediate action of dissolving the committee, the Department of Agriculture adopted long procedure of sending summary to the CM Secretariat.
He deplored that in the pretext of that long procedure, the market committee found opportunity for getting stay order from court for which the chief minister also directed action against the concerned authorities. He said at least it would not happen in the government of PTI-led coalition and every step would be taken according to rules, regulations, check and balance.
Pervez Khattak had also taken strict cognisance of the illicit allotments of shops in new vegetable market at Inqilab Road and scam regarding its improper usage for residential and personal purposes and also expressed dissatisfaction over the inquiry of the Provincial Inspection Team in this regard. He had directed for the referring the millions of rupees bungling case to National Accountability Bureau (NAB). He said that in past the vegetable market was established with heavy loans from Asian Development Bank (ADB) and interest-based funds that were paid from the taxes collected from the poor people. But, instead of benefiting the people they were further overburdened under price hike. He said that in future such misdeeds will not be allowed.
The chief minister deplored that like other sectors, corruption was also rampant in this crucial sector and after elimination of the purchase power the lives of the poor were made miserable. However, he said that the present government will not allow such kind of exploitation.
He warned that all departments and authorities should identity their duties and keep close vigil on the achievement of the targets and 100% results. Otherwise, he said negligent will face strict and exemplary action. He further regretted that this important issue should have been reviewed in 2007 Act much earlier in past regime under 18th constitutional amendment and in wake of provincial autonomy. He directed the for granting of candid roles to provincial and district administrations in Market Committee and bringing realistic amendment in the Act in consultation with the departments of agriculture and law to ensure effective legislation in this regard.