Solar powered tube wells installation: Punjab government to provide Rs 2 billion subsidy

The Punjab government has announced a subsidy of Rs two billion for installation of solar powered tube wells to improve the performance of the agricultural sector badly damaging due to prevailing energy crisis. This was stated by the Punjab Minister for Agriculture Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh, while speaking at a meeting held in the committee room of the Punjab Assembly here on Friday.
The meeting reviewed the pace of on-going projects of agriculture, wildlife and fisheries and goals of new projects. Officers of the departments concerned gave a detailed briefing to the minister about these projects. The Punjab Minister directed the officers to devise a comprehensive strategy for ensuring effective use of budget allocated for the coming financial year.
He said that the provincial government had allocated a sum of Rs 3.2 billion for agriculture, Rs two billion for livestock and Rs one billion for forestry and fisheries sectors' development in the budget 2010-11. Aulakh further stated that Rs 709 million had also been allocated for the Punjab Agricultural Research Board to provide funds for important projects of agricultural research.
Besides this, Rs 940 million have been earmarked for infrastructure of agricultural research and salaries to the agricultural scientists. This is first time that such a huge amount has been allocated with clear goals, the Minister added. He claimed that allocation made for the improvement of research infrastructure was equal to the total budget of 2007 for agriculture. He directed the officials to ensure that benefits of development projects should reach to the common citizen. Ahmad Ali Aulakh warned that no leniency would be tolerated in this regard.