LAHORE: Punjab has entered an era of agricultural mechanization owing to the initiatives undertaken by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, with modern farm machinery now reaching farmers across the province, says a handout issued by the Punjab government.
Under the Green Tractor Scheme, a subsidy of Rs1 million was provided on 9,500 high-power tractors. In addition, 10,000 tractors ranging from 50 to 65 horsepower are being supplied to farmers with a subsidy of Rs500,000 each. The chief minister has directed the provision of 20,000 Green Tractors to farmers during the next
fiscal year.
Under the next phase of the scheme, a subsidy of Rs1.5 million will be offered on high-horsepower tractors, while tractors with 50 to 65 horsepower will receive a subsidy of Rs750,000. On the directions of Maryam, Punjab has, for the first time, launched an interest-free loan scheme of up to Rs30 million for the purchase of 12 categories of high-tech agricultural machinery. Through the scheme, nearly 200 high-tech combined harvesters have been provided to farmers. For the first time, 50 high-tech combined harvesters are being deployed for wheat harvesting operations across the province.
To curb the burning of rice residue and address environmental pollution, 5,000 Super Seeders have been provided to rice growers. For the first time, rice cultivation on 1.4 million acres has been completed using Super Seeder technology. Under the second phase of the Super Seeder Scheme, an additional 5,000 Super Seeders are being distributed among rice farmers. The chief minister said guiding farmers towards innovation and modern agricultural practices remains her firm commitment. She noted that agricultural mechanisation would not only reduce production costs but also significantly enhance crop yields. She observed that the use of Super Seeders is contributing to a visible reduction in environmental pollution and stressed that the adoption of modern agricultural machinery has become indispensable for farmers. She stated that small-scale farmers in Punjab are also being facilitated through access to modern agricultural machinery on a rental basis.
Meanwhile, public hearings (Khuli Kutchehris) are continuing across Punjab on the directives of Maryam Nawaz to ensure prompt resolution of public grievances. The Chairperson of the CM Complaint Cell, Saima Farooq, led a public hearing in Gujranwala on Thursday where citizens’ complaints were heard directly and immediate orders were issued for their redressal. The public hearing was held at the Quaid-i-Azam Divisional Public School, Gujranwala. Saima Farooq, Commissioner Muhammad Ali, Regional Police Officer (RPO) Khurram Shahzad Haider, Deputy Commissioner Naveed Ahmed and other senior officials attended the event.
A large number of administrative and police officers participated in the hearing. Officials from the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Gujranwala Waste Management Company (GWMC), Highways Department, Health Department and Education Department were also present.
Speaking on the occasion, Saima said the objective of the public hearing is to provide immediate relief to citizens at their doorsteps. She said 212 applications against various departments were received during the session. Immediate action was ordered on all applications, with relevant authorities directed to address the complaints without delay.
