ISLAMABAD - Despite tall claims Government remained failed so far to evolve a mechanism to restart the agricultural activities in flood-hit areas through distribution of assistance for Rabi crop to farmers, which has been started in the country. Well-placed sources revealed that the Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet directed Deputy Chairman Planning Commission and President Zarai Taraqiyati Bank Ltd to hold meetings with the Chief Secretaries of Provinces, AJK and Gilgat Baltistan for evolving a mechanism to ensure fair distribution of assistance to all affectees of recent unprecedented flood. President Pakistan Agri Forum Ibrahim Mughal while talking to TheNation said that the floods have washed away at least five million acres of cultivated land. But centre and provincial governments are not capable to revive agricultural activities in the flood-hit areas. Both Centre and Provinces are not on the same wavelength on assistance for Rabi crop, he said. Ibrahim Mughal has also shown concerns that sowing of Rabi crop has been started in the country but Damage Need Assessment is in process so it seems impossible that government will take concrete steps to facilitate the flood-affectee farmers for Rabi crop. He has informed that two lakh agri tube-wells are already out of order and more than seven thousand water courses of the country need rehabilitation as well as reconstruction. He further alleged that bureaucracy is creating problems in this regard as they have demanded of heavy luxurious vehicles to start work in flood-affected areas. Government should introduce soft loans and also provide agricultural implements to farmers of flood-hit areas so that they can start preparing land for Rabi crop sowings in a bid to revive agriculture in this time of difficulty, says President Pakistan Agri Forum Ibrahim Mughal. Furthermore, it is interesting to mention here that a Ministerial Committee on Fertilizer presided by Federal Minister for Industries and Production Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani on Thursady decided that the subsidy to fertiliser sector will continue in the post flood scenario since countrywide agriculture productivity depends upon access and affordability of agricultural inputs. It has also been assured that gas curtailment to fertilizer sector will end as soon as gas situation improves. It is important to note that Council of Common Interests (CCI) on 6th September, 2010, directed that farmers with land holding below 25 acres, be provided free wheat seed and fertilizer. Further during recent meeting of the ECC of the Cabinet, it was informed that recent unprecedented flood have caused extensive damages to land, houses and other belongings of the population residing along or close to the rivers. Amongst others, a large percentage of farmers have lost their home-grown wheat seed. The ECC was also informed that 70 percent of the flood-hit area measuring 3.5 million acres would be brought under wheat cultivation during Rabi 2010-11. The rough estimate was Rs 9,200 per acre. Tentative cost of seed was estimated Rs 1,500, DAP one bag worth Rs 2,800 and two urea bag for one acre costing Rs fertilizer was estimated Rs 6,100 similarly. Total cost for 3.5m acres would be Rs 21.35b.