Punjab agri to get over Rs 3.8 bn

Lahore: Punjab Minister for Agriculture, Ahmad Ali Aulakh has said that more than Rs 3.8 billion will be spent on agriculture in 2008-09.

'Out of the proposed allocation of Rs 3.8 billion for annual development programme, Rs 2 billion will be provided for the ongoing projects under different wings of the Agriculture Department and about Rs 1.8 billion will be allocated for new projects to be selected on merit to achieve the desired development targets,' the minister said.

He said that Agriculture is the top most priority of the current government and only those projects will be included in ADP 2008-09, which can support sustainable development and achieve breakthrough in productivity while chairing a meeting to review proposed new projects.

Speaking on the occasion, the Planning Additional Secretary said that his department was mauling over four new projects each from the Agricultural Extension, Research and Water Management Wings, two each from the Field and Floriculture Wing, one each from the Agricultural Information, Floriculture and Pest Warning Wings and nine from the Punjab Agricultural Marketing Company.

Javed Iqbal Awan, Secretary Agriculture Punjab, Mussawar Abbas Naqvi, Additional Secretary (Planning), Dr Anjum Ali, Director General Agriculture (Ext & AR) Punjab, Dr Ejaz Pervaiz, Director General (Pest Warning), Dr Muhammad Yasin, Director General (Field), Dr Muhammad Rashid, Director General Agriculture (Research), Tariq Iqtadar, Director Floriculture and representatives of Pamco were also present on the occasion.