Punjab Agriculture Minister Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani on Monday said that 8,000 electric and diesel-powered tube wells across Punjab were being converted to solar energy.

He presided over the review meeting regarding Punjab chief minister’s “Solarization of Agricultural Tube Wells” programme here.

This initiative aimed at reducing the cost burden on farmers related to diesel and electricity bills, he said and added that the solarization of agricultural tube wells programme remained a top priority of the Punjab government.

He said that the programme was being improved through consultations with all stakeholders to ensure that farmers could access solar solutions at affordable prices.

The Punjab government was providing subsidies to farmers selected through a transparent balloting process, he added.

In the first phase of the programme, special teams from the Agriculture department would conduct site pre-inspections. Later, third-party verification would be carried out through consultants of the Energy department to ensure proper installation of solar panels and related materials.

The minister issued directives to complete the entire process as quickly as possible.

Later, on the directions of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, an important meeting was held at Agriculture House regarding the wheat procurement plan in the province.

The meeting was attended by Punjab Minister for Agriculture & Livestock Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani, Punjab Agriculture Secretary Iftikhar Ali Sahoo, price Control Secretary Muhammad Ajmal Bhatti.

The minister was briefed by the secretary for Price Control and Commodities Management on the current wheat procurement policy.

Syed Ashiq Hussain Kirmani emphasized that every possible step was being taken under the directions of the chief minister to ensure that farmers received the best prices of their wheat crop.

As part of the farmer-friendly initiatives of the Government of Punjab, the e-Warehouse Receipt (e-WR) System had been introduced for the convenience of wheat growers. Furthermore, Rs 5,000 per acre support programme had been launched by the Punjab government. To ensure immediate wheat procurement, a credit line of Rs 100 billion had also been activated for flour mills and licensed grain traders.

Source - https://www.urdupoint.com