Daily Times

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has granted approval of the agriculture tube well solarisation project.

The farmers owning 25-acre agriculture land will be eligible for the solarisation project.

The 67 pc payment of the project will be paid by the government and farmers have to pay only 33 pc payment for the agriculture tube-well solarisation project. It was announced during the briefing that around seven thousand tube wells would be shifted to solar energy in the first phase.

With the collaboration of the federal government, about ten thousand tube wells will be shifted to solar energy in the second phase.

The expenses of running a tube well on diesel are around three thousand per acre while fifteen hundred rupees on electricity.

Meanwhile, only Rs. 50 per acre would be spent to run tube wells on solar energy for irrigation.

Punjab CM directed to devise special packages for vegetables farmers.

Addressing the session, Maryam Nawaz instructed for a sustainable and effective system of supply management for onions, tomatoes and essential vegetables.

She stressed on providing solar panels to farmers and resolving the crisis of expensive electricity.

Punjab CM Maryam Nawaz emphasised that the crop yield expenses would be reduced by shifting from expensive electricity and diesel to solar energy.

She insisted that Punjab’s prosperity and development was associated with farmers’ welfare.

Punjab CM approved the project in a session chaired by her, attended by Senator Pervez Rasheed, Senior Provincial Minister Mariyyam Aurganzeb, Information Minister Azma Bukhari, Syed Ashiq Hussain Karamani, Chief secretary and secretary agriculture.

Separately, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz said the cleanliness situation in Lahore, Sargodha and some other districts falls short of expectations.

Chairing a meeting to review the outsourcing of solid waste management services, she said every nook and cranny in Punjab should put its best foot forward. She asked the officials to leave no stone unturned in ensuring the proper cleaning of urban, semi-urban and rural areas.

She expressed her frustration over the subpar cleaning conditions in Lahore, Sargodha and other districts.

Moreover, she said negligence in cleaning the drains would not be tolerated. During the briefing she was apprised that two solid waste management companies in Sargodha and Sahiwal would soon be up and running.

The CM was briefed that at least 361 private companies have reached out to the Punjab government, expressing their interest in taking on the solid waste management affairs across Punjab.