Chief Secretary Punjab Abdullah Khan Sumbal has issued instructions to all the deputy commissioners for ensuring timely payment of dues to sugarcane farmers and availability of urea fertilizer at officially-fixed rate.
He gave these instructions while presiding over a video link meeting of divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners at the Civil Secretariat. The administrative secretaries of agriculture and food departments, deputy commissioner Lahore and officers concerned attended the meeting while all divisional commissioners and deputy commissioners participated through video link.
The Chief Secretary said that the government would protect the rights of the farmers in any case and would take stern action against the sugar mills over illegal deductions and delay in payments. He also asked the officers to adopt stricter measures to prevent smuggling of urea fertilizer. He said that demand, supply and prices of urea fertilizer should be closely monitored.
The Chief Secretary ordered the deputy commissioners to give approval to the housing societies only as per rules. He said that during the current financial year, record development funds of Rs 217 billion rupees were utilized in a short span of time, adding that timely use of funds, quality and transparency in uplift projects must be ensured.
