Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has announced the 50,000 tractors scheme, saying that 50,000 tractors will be provided to farmers across the province over the next three years. She said the initiative is aimed at empowering farmers and improving agricultural productivity, adding that no previous provincial government had launched a program of this scale.
Speaking at a meeting of the Punjab Agriculture Department, the chief minister reviewed the Kisan Card and agricultural mechanization programs. Officials informed the meeting that interest-free loans worth Rs360 billion have been issued to farmers so far. The recovery rate under the Kisan Card program has reached 99%, while 80% of the loans were used to purchase fertilizers. Officials also noted that urea prices have remained stable for the past two and a half years.
Later, Maryam Nawaz met Punjab Assembly Speaker Malik Muhammad Ahmad Khan. She said her government’s goal is to deliver relief to every citizen of Punjab and take the province to new levels of development. She also appreciated the speaker’s services to the provincial assembly.
Meanwhile, employees of the Suthra Punjab Authority staged protests in Lahore over salary deductions and the non-payment of Eid bonuses. Workers suspended operations at several locations, including Gajumata, where they also stopped waste collection vehicles. Demonstrations were also held in the Wahga area.
The protesting employees said they had worked long hours during Eid despite the extreme heat but were not given the promised bonus. Project officials stated that salaries had already been paid and that delays occurred due to budget-related issues. The Punjab government said the 50,000 tractors scheme and other agricultural initiatives are part of its broader plan to strengthen the farming sector and support farmers across the province.