Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar inaugurated the wheat harvesting campaign 2020 in Matwa Village of Rojhan Tehsil in Rajanpur district by cutting the crop with harvester on Thursday.
Addressing on this occasion, the CM said that this year's wheat procurement target was fixed at 4.5 million metric tons and the wheat would be procured at the rate of Rs1400 per maund.
"The restriction of gardawari has been done away with and provincial ministers will also monitor the procurement campaign in their assigned districts," says a message received here.
The CM disclosed that 15 inter-provincial entry and exits points would also be fully monitored during the campaign. He reiterated that the interests of the farmers would be protected and every wheat grain would be procured as they were the benefactors of the nation.
The CM disclosed that different projects worth Rs300 billion were launched in Punjab under PM Agriculture Emergency Programme. A project worth Rs12.5 billion had also been started to increase the per acre wheat yield, he added.
The CM said that Rs8.5 billion subsidy was also given to 5.2 million farmers to purchase fertilizes and 10,000 watercourses were being concrete-lined in Punjab with an amount of Rs28 billion to improve the supply of water.
The chief minister further said the Punjab government had introduced 80 new verities of vegetables, fruits and other commodities besides starting complaint management system for eradicating spurious pesticides and fertilizers. Similarly, interest-free loans worth Rs15 billion had also been given to farmers under the e-credit scheme, he said.
Later, the CM visited the wheat procurement centre in Matwa Village of Rojhan tehsil and distributed gunny bags among the farmers. In the wake of coronavirus pandemic, implementation of necessary SOPs will be ensured to protect farmers, he said.
The CM Usman Buzdar also visited the DHQ Hospital Rajanpur to review facilities arranged for the coronavirus patients.
He directed to ensure better treatment and healthcare facilities to patients in Rajanpur district, adding the shortage of doctors and paramedics would be overcome soon and consultant doctors will also be appointed in this hospital.
Usman Buzdar maintained that health advisory was being strictly implemented for safety from coronavirus.
He pointed out that Punjab had taken the lead by implementing Punjab Infectious Diseases Prevention & Control Ordinance, 2020 and permission had been granted to hire the services of 10,000 doctors and paramedics. He said that a maximum number of tests of coronavirus patients were conducted in Punjab and that facility would be increased to 10,000 tests daily in the next few days.
The CM expressed the satisfaction that a 1000-bed field hospital was set up at Expo Centre Lahore adding he was visiting different districts to personally monitor the medical facilities.