PM's package for farmers: implementation partially stopped

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Thursday partially stopped the implementation of the Rs 341 Kissan Package announced by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced the Kissan Package on September 15. The ECP has taken notice of that move, terming some incentives a violation of the election code of conduct. The decision was taken in a meeting of ECP which was also attended by Secretary Information and Secretary Food.
Later, talking to media persons, ECP Secretary Babar Yaqub said that in the package subsidy has been announced outside the budget. The election body has suspended three incentives of the package and their implementation till December 3, 2015. Government may start implementing the stayed sections of the Kissan Package after completion of all three phases of local bodies elections in Punjab and Sindh provinces. The sections of Kissan Package that have been halted by ECP include Rs 5000 per acre aid to those farmers having 12.5 acre or less land, a special 2% lesser interest rate for those farmers who were cultivating rice and cotton in this season and increment of production units to 4,000 from 2,000. The ECP stated that no development scheme can be announced after the announcement of schedule for the local bodies elections in Punjab and Sindh. The commission said that the government advertised the package more than it was needed "which is also a violation of the code of conduct."
On September 22, election authorities had sought assurance from the government that the relief package for farmers would not be used in any way to influence voters in the forthcoming local government elections. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and other opposition groups had conveyed their concerns to ECP about the intent of government for introducing packages when a schedule for local government elections in Punjab and Sindh has already been announced. However, no written complaint against the package was received by the ECP, an official of ECP told Business Recorder. The ECP had taken up the issue on its own motion, the official maintained.