Punjab Planning & Development Board in collaboration with Federal Ministry for National Food Security & Research jointly organized a conference titled Planning & Design of Prime Minister’s 100 Days Agenda on Agriculture Sector at P&D Complex, Lahore. Finance Minister Punjab Hashim Jawan Bakht, Minister for Agriculture Malik Nauman Ahmad Langriyal, Minister for Livestock Sardar Hassnain Bahadur Dareshak, Federal Secretary National Food Security & Research Islamabad Dr. Muhammad Hashim Popalzai, Chairman P&D Punjab Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani, Punjab Provincial Secretaries Wasif Khursheed (Agriculture), Ahsan Waheed (Livestock) and Capt. (R) Muhammad Asif (Forest & Wildlife Fisheries), Member P&D Board Amir Khattak (PSW), Major General (R) Zahir Shah (ID), Director Generals of respective departments and other relevant officials attended the conference.
Opening the forum, Federal Secretary National Food Security & Research Dr. Muhammad Hashim Popalzai briefed that task force on agriculture constituted by the Prime Minister in consultation with all federating units of Pakistan has identified development sectors along with specific projects and their tentative cost share of respective provinces and federal share as well. According to the distribution of shares, crops, wheat, rice and sugarcane sector of agriculture department has been allocated PKR. 15387 Million share from Punjab while PKR. 5345 Million by federal share. Water Sector included improvement of water courses PKR. 18499 Million (Punjab) and command area development PKR. 11562 (Punjab) and PKR. 9740 Million (Federal) and PKR. 6200 Million (Federal) have also been given shares respectively. Therefore, amount of PKR. 2478 Million (Punjab) and PKR. 1361 Million (Federal) allocated to fisheries sector while livestock sector been given PKR. 942 Million (Punjab) and PKR. 628 Million (Federal).
Addressing the conference, Chairman P&D Punjab Habib-ur-Rehman Gilani welcomed the task force and suggested that dedicated allocation for agriculture sector in coming years would be planned and under any circumstances the said allocation may not be disturbed. At the conference, Punjab Minister Agriculture Malik Nauman Langriyal stressed to amend the interventions under proposed projects on the basis of lessons learnt from the on-going projects. Minister Live Stock Punjab Sardar Hassnain Bahadur Dareshak highlighted the foot and mouth diseases, free compartments in Punjab to enhance exportable supply. At the end, while concluding the conference Finance Minister Punjab Hashim Jawan Bakht was of the view that demand side may be accommodated for rather supply side based projects. He further advised that all administrative departments may take this opportunities and highly priorities interventions on emergency basis to meet the timelines of the Federal Government.