Punjab leases 121,000 acres to landless farmers to boost farm output

LAHORE: The Punjab government has allocated 121,000 acres of cultivable state land to 30,000 landless and deserving families under a new 20-year lease agreement aimed at alleviating poverty and boosting agricultural output.

Under the initiative, named the “Apna Khet, Apna Rozgar”, land will be leased to selected families for a symbolic annual fee of Rs100 per acre.

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz oversaw the computerised balloting process for the allotments on Monday.

“The state is giving five acres of cultivable land in their respective areas to the most deserving families for the next 20 years,” Maryam Nawaz said.

“The crop will belong to the farmer, the hard work will be yours, and the profit will be yours.”

Agriculture accounts for over 22 per cent of Pakistan’s gross domestic product (GDP) and employs about 37 per cent of its workforce, but land ownership remains highly concentrated among wealthy feudal families, leaving millions of rural workers landless.

Senior Member of the Board of Revenue (SMBR) Nabeel Javed, briefed the chief minister that the programme drew 60,000 applicants since its launch on April 22, including 11,000 women.

The final selection of 29,000 people was completed via a transparent, merit-based computerised lottery, he said.

To assist with initial cultivation costs, the provincial government will also provide a financial grant of Rs50,000 per acre, totaling up to Rs200,000 per family for land preparation. The provincial agriculture department will additionally offer technical support.

Officials said that successful applicants will receive allotment letters within a week, and physical possession of the leased land is scheduled to be handed over by July 31.

Under the terms of the project, eligibility was strictly restricted to families who do not currently own any agricultural land.

The government also highlighted female inclusion within the project, noting that women made up 20 per cent of the successful applicants in the main ballot, and 29 per cent in the Cholistan desert region, where 83,000 acres are designated for a separate phase of the allotment scheme.