LAHORE        -        Punjab Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar Monday chaired a meeting at his office on Monday to review steps taken for the provision of facilities to the farmers and development of the agriculture sector.

Secretary Agriculture Department gave a briefing about the departmental performance and facilities being provided to the farmers.

The CM expressed his displeasure over delay in some measures relating to the provision of facilities to the farmers. 

“The agriculture department has conducted only meetings during the last two years and practical progress in the provision of facilities to the farmers has not been made”, he regretted.  He directed that durable steps should be taken immediately by discontinuing the sluggish disposition.

“I will personally visit the agriculture department. 

Any further delay in the adoption of steps aimed at provision of facilities to the farmers will not be tolerated”, he warned, adding that the agriculture sector was the linchpin of the national economy. He viewed that agriculture sector had a lot of potential and there was no justification of the delay.  The department needs to improve its performance, he stressed.

The Chief Minister directed to devise a comprehensive plan to harmonize the agriculture department with the latest needs as the provision of facilities to the farmers was the fundamental duty of this department. 

He further directed that legal aspects be given due attention in the procurement of bulldozers and a special technical committee be constituted. Similarly, he added, reforms be introduced to run Punjab Seed Corporation (PSC) as a modern corporate entity. Active personalities should be included in the PSC board, he directed.  He said Ayub Research Institute and other such institutions were needed to give proper attention to agriculture research as the government could deal with new challenges by modernizing the research according to the latest needs.

He observed that Punjab was an agrarian province and the development of its agriculture sector will strengthen the national economy. 

“I will personally monitor the progress made on various schemes of the agriculture department from now onwards”, the CM concluded.

Agriculture Minister Nauman Langrial, adviser Dr Salman Shah, ACS (Agriculture) and others attended the meeting.