SAHIWAL - The Punjab government is devising a comprehensive policy to boost agriculture produce to enable Pakistan become a self sufficient country in food items. “Quality of seeds, fertilizers and pesticides will be ensured, and a campaign will be launched to maintain the quality of these essential components of agriculture.” These remarks were made by Provincial Minister for Agriculture Malik Nauman Ahmed Langarial, while holding a meeting with a delegation of Kissan Ittehad here.
Kissan Ittehad President Maj (r) M Hussain led the delegation who presented a charter of demand to Punjab government for enhancement of agriculture production. He demanded that current electricity rates of tube well should be maintained besides restoring electricity to outages-hit areas. He also demanded complete ban on fruits and vegetable imports, checking the quality of seeds and fertilizers and to improve agricultural marketing system. Provincial Minister Malik Nauman Ahmed Langarial assured that problems faced by the farmers would be solved on priority basis because during last 10 years agriculture sector was ignored and billion of foreign exchange reserves were being spent on the import of agriculture products to fulfil food requirements of the people.
Minister pledges educational uplift
Minister for Higher Education Yasir Humayun Sarfraz has pledged major changes for the uplift of education sector.
This was stated by Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association (PPLA) president Hafiz Abdul Khaliq Nadeem and general secretary M Shafiq during a meeting with a delegation of PPLA divisional chapter here.
They said that the minister had assured the revival of 5-Tier formula for college teachers’ promotion on KPK pattern, immediate stoppage of pay deduction from 2002, 2005 and 2009 contract lecturers batches, regularization of services from day of joining, financial incentives for BS 4 - Year college teacher, refilling of board chairman vacant posts, introduction of financial management courses for college teacher community, and delegation of administrative powers to DPI.
The PPLA divisional delegation was led by Prof Tahir Islam, PPLA divisional president and Prof Mirza Moeen, President Ittehad-e-Asatiza along with other divisional PPLA office-bearers. It is to be noted that this was the first interaction of PPLA leadership with any minister of the PTI provincial government. The minister listened calmly to the PPLA 13-point agenda and responded positively to the concerns raised by PPLA.
