KARACHI: President Asif Ali Zardari has called for utilizing
satellite technology for conducting surveys about crop damages instead
of using revenue officials so that a true picture is emerged.
According
to the press statement received here on Thursday, he said this at a
briefing held on “crop damage in Sindh”, at Bilawal House.
The
President underlined the need for treating the rain water for
irrigation use or can be discharged into River Indus for the survival
of fish and other species in the river or let it be submerged in dunes
so that it can be used in case of drought.
He pointed out that
the government wants to introduce a concept of build, own, operate and
maintain (BOOM) to create the sense of ownership among the growers for
the infrastructure.
The government wants to promote infrastructure bonds which can be floated on the stock exchanges in the country, he opined.
Earlier,
the growers and ginners said that a large portion of standing crops
have been damaged under flooding and urged the government to exempt
agriculture inputs from sales tax on the agriculture inputs, provide
them interest free loans and give free of cost seeds to small growers.
President
Zardari said that small growers will be provided wheat for feeding
under the new Pakistan card as well as wheat seeds so that they can sow
wheat for next year. He advised for considering refund scheme for the
purchaser of tractors so that they can get refund of sales tax.
He
said that the government had also saved people in last year’s floods
and we will save them this year too. He said the recent torrential
rains were the result of climate change and this calamity will be
converted into opportunity.
Responding to a complaint about the
smuggling of fertilizer outside Pakistan, he advised that an effective
monitoring system should be evolved involving also growers to check
smuggling and report to district administration for proper action.
Sindh
Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Labour Minister Khursheed Shah,
Nazar Mohammad Gondal, Raja Pervez Ashraf, member of Sindh Cabinet and
senior government officers and office bearers of Sindh Abadgar Chamber
and ginners association were present on the occasion. Online
