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Musharraf
offers farmers incentives
MULTAN -President Gen Pervez Musharraf announced on Friday
lifting of the entire wheat stock with the growers at a
support price of Rs300 per 40kg as well as one-third subsidy
on power consumption by farm tubewells.
He was speaking at a public meeting here at the Cricket
Stadium in connection with his ongoing campaign aimed at
electing himself president for the next five years through a
referendum to be held on April 30.
The president hoped that subsidy on tubewells would bridge the
gap between water requirement and its prevailing shortage and
added that the cost for the concession would be shared by
Wapda and the respective provincial governments.
He assured the gathering that the government would ensure the
wheat price of Rs300 per 40kg. "The government will lift even
the last grain to dispose of all the surplus wheat," he said,
adding "I have directed the Passco and provincial food
departments to procure wheat directly from growers so that
they can benefit from the official procurement operation."
The president underlined the need for controlling the dieback
disease that had been devastating the mango orchards and said
that the government would soon provide all the facilities at
the Multan airport for exporting fruits and vegetables.
He said the Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan had so
far advanced micro-loans totalling Rs12 billion to the small
growers during the current fiscal and added that more loans
worth Rs10 billion were likely to be given to the farming
community soon.
Gen Musharraf said his government was paying special attention
to the infrastructure building and therefore, he added, he had
ordered the construction of M-4 motorway from Faisalabad to
Multan while the Dera Ghazi Khan-Multan Road would be made
dual carriageway to link it to the Indus Highway.
He said the provincial governments had been directed to
introduce housing schemes for low income groups. Commenting on
his opposition from political parties, the president said he
was not afraid of anybody whether he or she was in Pakistan or
abroad. The overwhelming support from people has given him the
strength, he claimed and urged people to support him to show
the world that they were with him and that he was not alone.
Responding to the demands of Nazims, the president announced a
Rs500 million grant for the improvement of drainage and water
supply system in Multan. "I want to see Multan as Lahore of
Southern Punjab."
Earlier, Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool urged the gathering to
vote Gen Musharraf in the referendum for the continuity of the
policies the president had initiated under his seven-point
agenda to bring prosperity to the country and to fight the
menace of sectarianism.
The district Nazims of Vehari, Lodhran, Khanewal, Sahiwal and
Pakpattan and acting district Nazim of Multan also spoke and
pledged to support the general in the referendum.
Pakistan Awami Tehrik, Millat Party, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf,
PML(Q) and Awam Dost Group of Multan district council brought
their workers to the rally apart from those transported to the
venue by the district and tehsil Nazims.
A large number of government employees were also present in
the stadium who had been directed by their officers to attend
the rally.
APP adds: The president said the governor had been issued
directives to give proprietary rights to the dwellers of
Kutcha Abadis.
courtesy Daily Dawn, 20
April, 2002
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Pakissan.com;
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