LAHORE   -  Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said on Monday that cotton crop had a status of cash crop for the country’s economy and due to climate change and lack of modern seed technology its production was decreasing. He presided over the meeting here at Agriculture House which reviewed innovations in modern technology of seeds of cotton, maize and other important crops. Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture Usama Khan Leghari and Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo attended the meeting. Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani said that there was a need to bring modern high yielding seeds of cotton, maize and other important crops at the doorsteps of farmers so that production targets could be achieved. He said that the discovery of seeds having modern yielding capacity and immunity against diseases was the need of the hour. In this regard, research institutions, academia and other relevant stakeholders should work together, he said and added that the government had increased the development budget of agriculture by 250% this year to ensure prosperity of farmers. He directed all stakeholders to submit viable proposals for increasing cotton production, which would be reviewed and send to the Punjab Chief Minister for approval. Meanwhile, Provincial Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique on Monday paid a surprise visit to the Children’s Hospital, Lahore. He visited the emergency, cardiology, outpatient department (OPD), operating theaters, and other sections of the hospital, inspecting the sanitation and medical facilities. Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Child Health Sciences, Prof. Junaid Rashid, and Managing Director of Children’s Hospital, Prof. Tipu Sultan, briefed the Provincial Health Minister in this regard. The minister stated that sanitation and medical services had been reviewed across various departments of the Children’s Hospital, Lahore. He emphasized that efforts were being made to provide better treatment facilities to patients in government hospitals. The first priority of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif was to improve healthcare services for the people. The capacity of government children’s hospitals in Punjab was being increased, he added.