Punjab Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Pida) has constituted as many as 51 farmer organisations in the Lower Bari Doab Canal System. These FOs will be responsible for the maintaining of canals in their respective areas under public-private partnership.
According to information received here Sunday in this regard a departmental meeting was held in the office of Pida with General Manager (TM) Faiz Mohyuddin in the chair. Among others, GM (OP) Ch, Karamat Ali, GM (Finance) Asif Sohail and Project Director Lower Bari Doab Canal Improvement Project also attended the meeting.
The meeting held a detailed review of arrangements of transferring Irrigation Management to the Farmer Organisations in the LBDC System. Programme Director (Reforms) LBDC briefed the meeting about operationalisation of FOs and told that agreement-deeds of Irrigation Management Transfer have been arranged. Similarly, arrangements of the setting up of FO offices and provision of staff have also been completed.
The meeting proposed that Irrigation Management Units of FOs in the Area Water Board of LBDC should be constituted in such a way, which could provide maximum benefit to the farmers. It is expected that the process of Irrigation Management Transfers to the FOs will be completed by the next month. The meeting expressed the satisfaction that the public-private partnership has given confidence to the farmers and now they are fully involved in the irrigation management.