Punjab sets wheat procurement price at Rs3,500 per maund

LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif has ordered the immediate start of wheat procurement at a fixed rate of Rs3,500 per maund and announced free gunny bags worth Rs6 billion for farmers across the province.

The decision was taken during a meeting chaired by the chief minister to review wheat procurement, distribution of gunny bags and the Green Tractor Scheme. According to the briefing given in the meeting, registered farmers will receive 10 bags per acre from purchase centres.

Maryam Nawaz directed officials to begin procurement from farmers without delay. It was also decided in principle that wheat purchases would be prioritised for farmers holding Kissan Cards. She further instructed that payments to farmers must be made within 72 hours of procurement at the notified rate of Rs3,500 per maund.

The meeting was told that management committees would be set up at the provincial and divisional levels to oversee the procurement process. Participants were also informed that 88 per cent of farmers had shown confidence in the provincial government’s agricultural measures.

The chief minister also announced the launch of a Work with Punjab government programme under which agriculture graduates and others will be offered internship opportunities.

Officials informed the meeting that loans amounting to a record Rs100 billion had been disbursed through the Kissan Card scheme, with a recovery rate of 99%. They said 900,000 farmers had been registered under the programme so far. The chief minister directed the authorities to continue the registration process.

On the Green Tractor Scheme, the meeting was told that the target had been set at 30,000 tractors, of which 20,000 had already been delivered to farmers. Officials said the scheme, along with agricultural mechanisation, was supporting growth in local industry, with manufacturers in Daska producing harvesters.

Road projects reviewed

In a separate meeting on major infrastructure schemes, the chief minister approved the SL-4 Lahore Ring Road Southern Loop project and sought weekly progress reports on road projects across Punjab.

She directed the authorities to ensure timely and quality construction of the Multan-Vehari road. The meeting was informed that base and sub-base work on the province’s first dust-free road had been completed, while asphalt work was moving ahead quickly.

Approval in principle was also granted for Phase II of the Sialkot Ring Road from Wazirabad Road to Pasrur Road. A proposal for the Thal Expressway, linking Bhakkar and Layyah with the M-4 motorway, was presented during the meeting.

Progress on the Rawalpindi Signal-Free Corridor was also reviewed. According to the briefing, the project includes seven underpasses and an overhead bridge.

Maryam Nawaz directed that all ongoing road schemes be completed within the stipulated timelines and asked for weekly updates. The meeting reviewed 133 ongoing projects under the chief minister’s initiative as well as 125 additional schemes.

Officials said a total of 2,143 road sector projects had been launched across Punjab. Of these, 376 have been completed, while work is continuing on 86 others. Under Phase I of the Road Rehabilitation Programme, 85 schemes were launched, including 38 completed and 47 under way. In Phase II, 43 schemes were initiated, with 18 completed and 25 in progress.

The chief minister said more than 12,000 kilometres of roads had been built or rehabilitated, adding that special focus had been placed on rural link roads so that access from farms to markets and from factories to commercial centres could improve.