Lahore: The provincial cabinet, during a meeting held on Saturday, approved an amendment to the government’s Land Disposal Policy, a news source reported. Through the revised regulation, the executive plans to give ownership rights of leased land (which will be allotted through an open-auction process) to landless farmers – provided they cultivate 80% of their individual allotted tracts.
Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Usman Buzdar chaired the meeting of the cabinet held in Lahore. Provincial ministers, advisors, special assistants, the chief secretary, and senior officials concerned were all present at the occasion.
The CM approved to allot state land to landless farmers of the Cholistan region. To ensure transparency on this front, a committee has been tasked with scrutinising the allotment process. The Pakistan Petroleum Limited recently selected the land situated in Sadiqbad tehsil of Cholistan for carrying out oil exploration activities.
Moreover, the cabinet decided to exempt 55 ‘calamity-hit’ villages, inundated by monsoon rains, from water tax payment for this season. Similarly, the provincial government would provide financial assistance to those farmers whose crops were recently destroyed due to excessive rain.
CM Buzdar also announced a tourism policy for the province with an aim to promote a ‘soft image’ of the country on the international level. He added that the government’s efforts to incentivise the private sector on this front were underway.
