Daily Times

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday held a meeting with Provincial Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, and Administrative Secretaries to streamline government affairs.

The CM directed the authorities concerned to invite parliamentary secretaries concerned to the departmental meetings. She also directed parliamentary secretaries to get details of the projects from their respective departments, and sought five-year vision reports from them.

In her address, the CM emphasized the equal status of parliamentary secretaries, acknowledging their pivotal role in implementing government policies. She underscored the necessity of collective effort, stating, “No one person can run this government alone; everyone has to work together.”

CM Maryam Nawaz highlighted Punjab’s potential as noted by Chinese investors and criticized previous administrations for their inefficiency, which she claims undermined development. She remarked on the extensive work achieved during Shehbaz Sharif’s tenure, noting that the progress had been significantly disrupted.

The chief minister highlighted recent achievements, including a decline in inflation and improvements in food prices. She said that the price of flour in Punjab is significantly lower compared to other provinces.

She announced several initiatives: the distribution of Kisan Cards, a Rs 10 lakh subsidy for green tractors, and the Apni Chhat Apna Ghar Programme, which offers loans for home construction. She also mentioned relief measures in electricity bills and the launch of Minority Cards.

The CM stressed the importance of fieldwork to address public issues and the ongoing improvement in bureaucratic performance through a new KPI (key performance indicator) system. She urged her team to embrace their responsibilities in public service and announced plans to distribute sweets for Eid Milad-un-Nabi (Peace Be Upon Him).

Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Information & Culture Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari, Provincial Ministers and Parliamentary Secretaries attended the meeting. Provincial Secretaries and other relevant officers were also present.

Separately, Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has announced a series of initiatives aimed at advancing agriculture and improving the socio-economic conditions of farmers in the province.

During a review meeting with the Agriculture Department on Tuesday, she highlighted the introduction of several key projects: Kissan Cards, Agricultural Mall Pilot Project, Green Tractor Scheme, Agricultural Graduates Internship, and Tube Well Solarization Projects.

The chief minister noted that the distribution of 40,000 Kissan Cards to farmers through 136 agriculture centers across the province has commenced from today.

Farmers can get Kissan Cards from agricultural center in the agriculture office in each tehsil. They will be able to use these cards to buy agricultural inputs for the wheat crop after October 15.

The CM said that 500,000 farmers will benefit from Kissan Card. A farmer will be able to get a loan from Rs 30,000 per acre to Rs 150,000 through Kissan Card.

Agricultural Mall Pilot Project will be started in Okara, Bahawalpur, Sahiwal and Sargodha, she said and added that seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, agricultural goods, counseling, loans and other facilities will be available at these Malls.

CM Maryam Nawaz approved the Fresh Agriculture Graduates Internship Program, under which training of 1,000 agriculture graduates will start across Punjab from next week. She said these agriculture graduates will access the farmers through geomapping, and will advise them in the field on how to get good harvest.

Under CM Green Tractor Scheme, 10,000 tractors will be given away in a year. The Punjab government will give a subsidy of Rs 1 million on each tractor. Farmers will be able to apply after the launch of the scheme on September 20.

Maryam Nawaz said that the agricultural tube well solarization project is in the final stages, adding that the Punjab government will pay 50 percent on solarization of electric and diesel tube wells.

Senior Provincial Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, Information & Culture Minister Azma Zahid Bukhari and Agriculture Minister Ashiq Hussain Kirmani attended the meeting. The Chief Secretary, Secretary Agriculture and other relevant officers were also present.