ISLAMABAD: Chairman of the Pakistan Agriculture Research Council (PARC) Dr Iftikhar Ahmed on Saturday said that the Finance Ministry had been directed to release Rs 383.7 million to the Council immediately to meet its budget shortfall.
The PARC Chairman, while talking to APP, said that the directive was issued by Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf after he apprised him of the financial crunch being faced by the Council, during a recent meeting.
He said that he told the Prime Minister that non-development expenditure was the main reason for budget shortfall. Some 269 employees of the PARC have been recently reinstated and funds are required to pay their salaries and arrears, he added.
He said that the Council was originally allocated Rs 876.21 million for non-development budget and Rs 2753.21 million for development budget the year 2012-13.
He apprised the Prime Minister that work on six approved projects could not be initiated due to funds shortage. "The Prime Minister acceded to the release of funds, saying that research work in this important field, on whom the country's economy depends the most, should not be stopped", he added.
Prime Minister directed for discovering new varieties of agriculture products, which should give maximum yield with minimum time and use of water, he added.
He said the Prime Minister also desired that the research work should now come out of laboratories and libraries and its outcome must reach the farmers so they produce new varieties by following the new technology.
"The Prime Minister also directed us to start mega projects for the development of agriculture in the country", Dr Iftikhar added.
He said that the Prime Minister directed for using electronic media to create public awareness about the new agriculture research.
Prime Minister was informed that the scientists are trying to discover new varieties to cope with the current weather change, he added.
He said that the PARC had launched projects for the production of tea and edible olive oil in in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to make the country self-sufficient. In this regard, scientists will be sent abroad for training, he added.
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