June 20, 2013
Punjab Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif has said that agriculture is the backbone of our economy, and Punjab government was taking concrete measures for promotion of agriculture and farmers’ problems would be resolved on priority basis. 
He said provincial ministers and concerned authorities should sit together and review the resolution of farmer’s problems including electricity bills, tariff, and other problems. Shahbaz Sharif said that he himself would talk to federal government for resolving the problems of farmers.
He was talking to the delegation of farmers led by President Pakistan Kisan Ittehad Khalid Mehmood Khokhar at Model Town on Wednesday. Shahbaz assured the farmers that Punjab government would sincerely take all possible steps for resolving problems of the farmers.
The delegation informed the Chief Minister about electricity bills, tariff and other problems being faced by small farmers upon which, Shahbaz Sharif assured that sincere efforts would be made for resolving all problems of farming community including electricity tariff.
Referring electricity crisis, Shahbaz said “we have made promise with the people of overcoming energy crisis and we all have to work day and night for eliminating loadshedding. We are considering to setting up 15 and 20 mega watt plants of biogas and biomass through public private partnership.”
He said utility of technology for generating electricity through biogas and biomass had proved in various countries and “we will also take full benefit from this technology.” Biogas, biomass and other projects of generating electricity would be implemented speedily, he added.
The CM directed concerned authorities that a practicable plan of collecting raw material throughout the province for generating electricity through biomass should be evolved. On a complaint of the delegation, he warned that the business of spurious agri-medicines and fertilisers would not be tolerated and strict action would be taken against the elements as per law. 
He said India had taken lead in cotton production which was a matter of pondering for us, adding the cotton production could be enhanced by utilising modern agriculture technology. The CM directed that provincial ministers of agriculture, irrigation and energy and concerned authorities should sit together and formulate proposals for implementing the projects of generating energy through biogas and biomass and operating tube well on solar energy.
He said best technology with regard to biogas, biomass and solar energy was available with Germany and China and they should be contacted for that purpose. “Similarly, this technology is being implemented successfully in Indian province Hariyana and it can also be contacted.”
He directed that the payments of sugarcane prices by the sugar mills to the farmers should be ensured. President Pakistan Kisan Ittehad Khalid Mehmood Khokhar while expressing satisfaction over the policies of Punjab government said the CM would certainly resolve the problems of small farmers.
Khalid Mehmood said small farmers of Punjab were with the CM in eliminating Patwari culture, adding small farmers would become prosperous due to the steps taken by the CM for the promotion of agriculture. Provincial Minister for Local Government and Law Rana Sanaullah Khan, Agriculture Minister Dr Farrukh Javed, Energy Minister Sher Ali Khan, Member National Assembly Chaudhry Iftikhar Nazir, Secretaries of Agriculture and Energy Departments and officers of Lesco, Mepco and Fesco were also present on the occasion.
Source: http://www.brecorder.com
