Altaf Hamid Rao
Islamabad/ MIRPUR (AJK), (Parliament Times) : Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Tanveer Ilyas Khan, has said that the present government has taken effective measures to promote agriculture and livestock at the state level.
The PM said that a comprehensive policy has been evolved to put the liberated territory on the path of prosperity and self-sufficiency.
In order to create public awareness, the PM said that the government had already announced to observe agriculture week all across the state from April 1 to April 7. “Similarly, Fish week will be observed from 15 to 27 March”, the PM said.
Stressing the need for improving agriculture, he said that the government would utilize all its available resources to encourage farmers.
In his special statement, the Prime Minister said that a “Save farmers campaign” would be launched in which all measures regarding the promotion of crops and breeding of animals would be taken at the government level. “Improving the lives of farmers in Azad Kashmir is our government’s top priority”, he said.
He said that the government would provide special incentives to farmers.
” Children of farmers would be given admission in medical, engineering colleges and universities.
The PM said that the farmers’ hard work and dedication can play an important role in making the region prosperous and self-sufficient.
In order to preserve the agricultural land, he said that there would be a complete ban on construction on agricultural lands in the AJK. “A penalty worth fifty thousand rupees per kanal per year will be charged against the farmers who fail to bring their cultivable and fertile land for agricultural purposes”, he said.
He said that steps would be taken to grow fruit trees in Azad Kashmir. “In the next three to four years, Azad Kashmir will have all kinds of fruits produced at the local level”, he added.
Kitchen gardening, he said, would be made compulsory so that people can produce organic vegetables for household use.
The PM said that a special day would also be celebrated in schools and colleges of Azad Kashmir to create awareness about the preservation of wildlife and promotion of livestock.
He said that silk worms would be distributed free of cost to the people.
Regarding the uplift of the rural economy, the prime minister said, “Cows, buffaloes, goats and angora rabbits will also be distributed free of cost to the people”. The PM said that the government would take every initiative that it deems fit to meet the requirements of meat and pulses in Azad Kashmir.
—