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Punjab not taking extra water, the scarcity is genuine, says CE Gen Pervez Musharraf
NAWABSHAH-Chief Executive General Pervez Musharraf on Friday
(June 01) said that allegations of taking extra water by Punjab was not true, but on the contrary Punjab had given approximately two lakh cusecs of water to Sindh from its share.
"Trust me as I am telling you the truth that scarcity of water is genuine," he added.
Gen Musharraf said that shortage of water could be met by the construction of storage and small dams in all the provinces.
He was addressing a gathering of elected local bodies representatives including women councillors, farmers, landlords and local people on the occasion of distributing State land to Haris at village Dadlo in Taluka Daulatpur Deh Sukkur some 45 kilometres from here.
Gen Musharraf also gave away keys of two tractors to local farmers provided by the Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan (ADBP).
| Distributes State land to Haris, says more soft term loans for installation of tube wells, purchase of fertilizer, seed and implements |
Gen Musharraf said that the government was committed to pay more attention towards the development of agriculture sector and betterment of backward areas so that people of entire country make progress. Gen Musharraf said that the government should make concerted efforts for the progress and prosperity of the country and everybody should contribute his best towards that very end.
He urged the growers to take maximum benefits out of the incentives provided by the government to boost agricultural economy to get best yield of their produce.
He opined that it was everybody's duty to contribute towards the reduction of poverty from the rural parts of Sindh as they had been suffering at the hands of poverty the most.
The Chief Executive hoped that the distribution of agricultural land among the Haris and tillers would ensure progress and prosperity of the country.
Gen Musharraf distributed 3,055 acres of state land among 262 Haris and awarded proprietary rights of 16 acres of land to each.
He said that his government was determined to wipe out poverty from the society and uniformed development endeavours were under way in all sectors under the Khushhal Pakistan Programme to remove backwardness from the underdeveloped, remote and neglected parts.
He expressed his dissatisfaction that lots of land was lying barren but the poor were not given that land, saying, ''We want to end the exploitative system between Haris and landlords and government would distribute more land among the haris so that their condition may improve.''
He asked the farmer community to take full advantage of the loans and other agriculture incentives provided by the ADBP and other government departments. However, he advised the growers to pay back the loans in time so they could be recycled and others would also benefit from them.
Construction of Ramny Canal, Thar Canal, RBOD
Speaking about major development projects, Gen Musharraf said that government was preparing plan for the construction of Ramny Canal, Thar Canal and Right Bank Outfall Drain (RBOD).
He said that on the one hand irrigation water would be available for cultivation of extra agriculture land and on the other saline water would be dropped in sea through the RBOD. He said that that would reclaim saline land and would make it cultivable once again.
Regarding shortage of irrigation water, the Chief Executive said that it was a natural phenomenon and no one could be held responsible for it. He said that however those politicians who were making it a political issue were not sincere with Pakistan and should not pay heed to their claims.
More soft-term loans
APP adds: The Chief Executive said that soft term loans would be provided for installation of tube wells, purchase of fertilizer, seed and implements to boost crops. He said statistics showed that the poor who borrowed loans returned the same in time but the landlords who had borrowed Rs 900 million were yet to return the same
He said that he saluted the poor who had properly utilised the loans and returned the 100 per cent amount in time.
Regarding providing more loans to peasants and workers of lower middle class, Gen Musharraf said that apart from ADBP, the government was establishing Khushhali Bank in the four provinces and soon its branches would spread all over the country.
He said, ''In Pakistan, Rs 90 billion was lent and only half of the amount was recovered. The practice of granting loans without any valid reasons should be stopped,'' he added.
Gen Musharraf assured the recipients of the state land of full rights. "The land will not be taken back from them," he said, adding, "No injustice will be done to them."
Gen Musharraf told farmers that the Sindh Government would protect their land ownership.
He advised the elected local bodies' members present there to work for the welfare of their areas and progress of the country.
He said that government intended to implement different welfare projects in future and billions were being spent on the development programmes throughout the country under Khushhal Pakistan Programme.
He said that nearly 6,000 people were given loans by the Khushhali Bank and after its expansion in next three years, three to four million people would be benefited with this scheme.
He said that the Khushhali Bank would provide loan facility at the doorstep of peasants/workers and to those who were interested in establishing small business.
He said that the bank provided loan at the recommendation of the employees and they were responsible for the recovery of the loans. He said that scheme was being formulated to provide loan of Rs 30,000 and a tractor to group of six peasants.
The Chief Executive said Pakistan was a nuclear power and "now it is our duty to make it more stronger."
"It would be possible only with the cooperation of the people of Pakistan", he added.
"Pakistan is like our family and we will not allow any one to destroy it" Gen Musharraf declared, and added, "We have to remove poverty from the country and for that purpose the economy has to be made stronger."
"If the economy is improved the country would be stronger and that could be done if every Pakistani join hands for the same cause," he added.
He said he had learnt that the peasants worked on the lands of big landlords to earn little livelihood. He said that in that way their poverty could not be eradicated
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He said that the process of distribution of land would continue throughout the country.
He said that notice boards with telephone numbers of competent authorities were affixed in the area,'' and now it will be you to complain directly to officials in case any influential person tries to take back this land from you.''
He said that special directives were issued to Corps Commander Karachi and General Officer Commanding in that regard. He said, "The responsibility also lies on the elected representatives to see and stop any atrocity against such persons."
Gen Musharaf said that his government was endeavouring to improve the socio-economic conditions of peasants, the poor and lower middle class workers. He said that to improve the status, government had planned to provide loans through Agriculture Development Bank, Khushhali Bank and even through Zakat fund.
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