Punjab Finance Minister Makhdoom Hashim Jawan Bakht has said that a progressive approach is being promoted to enhance agricultural productivity which is vital for food security in the country. The provincial minister said this while addressing a seminar on development, poverty rate, and food security, organized by Government College University, Lahore, on Thursday. He said the present government made the provincial budget with a different philosophy and inclusive growth instead of the past governments who established infrastructure without considering the judicious use of it. The minister said that in the budget, the government has allocated Rs86 billion on civil works in the 16 most backward tehsils of the province. The District Development Programme has been selected keeping in view the labor consumption, he said.
He said that the main purpose of establishing the River Ravi Development Authority is to improve groundwater levels and install water treatment plants to provide clean water with additional economic benefits of the project. The minister said that the success of the government was not only the provision of funds but also their efficient use which is the first priority of the present government. The government is trying to lift 5 million families across the poverty line through a comprehensive plan to provide services from birth to education and from education to employment throughout their life cycle. He invited the seminar participants to read the budget documents and said that the budget was prepared to keep in view the development needs of the province alongside poverty reduction and food security.
He said that sustainable development in the production sector was a matter of urgency.
Original Link: https://dailytimes.com.pk/774736/govt-committed-to-modernise-agriculture-for-food-security-hashim/