Punjab govt approves rules and regulations for corporate farming under CPEC

Lahore: The Punjab provincial caretaker government has approved rules and regulations for corporate farming under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC).

Under the decision, 127,000 acres of land would be made available for farming in five selected districts of the Punjab province.

The fourth provincial cabinet meeting, held under the chair of the caretaker Chief Minister Punjab Mohsin Naqvi decided that corporate farming will help in agricultural research, food security, and forest and livestock research.

“Land can be given for a maximum of 30 years for corporate farming and those who get land for corporate farming will not get ownership rights,” according to the decision by the provincial government.

The provincial cabinet meeting also approved Pakistani Rs 1 billion for assistance of police martyrs’ heirs. It decided to include flour in the schedule of the Punjab Prevention of Speculation for Essential Commodity Act, 2021 to make it a part of the essential commodities.

The CM ordered for constituting a committee while asking for recommendations to formulate a foolproof method of targeted flour subsidy. The cabinet approved procuring wheat from PASSCO (Pakistan Agricultural Storage & Services Corporation Limited) while the CM ordered to depute merited officers for the wheat procurement drive.

The cabinet approved a reconstituted board of governors of the Pakistan Kidney and Liver Transplant Institute under Dr Saeed Akhtar while the CM asked the ministers to conduct visits to resolve the artificial shortage and hoarding of petroleum products.

It was decided that recruitment should be made through Punjab Public Service Commission to ensure merit in the food department and further decided to constitute a new search committee for the appointment of vice-chancellors of government universities.

Extension of the contract period of staff of the Provincial Quality Control Board in Punjab and de-notification of political appointments in departments and autonomous bodies affiliated with the P&D Board was approved as well.

Approval was given to restore the expired funds for the payment of honorarium to the Afternoon school Program staff for the academic year 2020-21. The meeting also reviewed the postponement of the recruitment process in new administrative units in Punjab.