Punjab to lease barren land worth Rs160 billion to spur jobs, economy

LAHORE: The Punjab government will lease agricultural land worth Rs160 billion under a new programme aimed at boosting farming activity and creating jobs, Provincial Information Minister Azma Bukhari said on Monday.

“The “Apna Khet Apna Rozgar” (own farm, own livelihood) scheme will see barren land brought under cultivation and leased to farmers for 10 years,” she said during a press conference.

“The land will be used solely for agricultural purposes, and beneficiaries will also be provided guidance for farming,” she said, adding that more than 88,000 families are expected to benefit from the initiative.

Bukhari said that the programme would help generate employment and support the provincial economy as part of broader efforts to modernise Punjab’s agriculture sector.

She said the provincial government had launched multiple development initiatives under Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, including support for farmers through schemes such as Kisan cards and subsidised tractors.

She also said the government had allocated 50 acres of land for a proposed film city, which will feature modern studios and production facilities.

In a separate meeting chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, officials said that more than 1.6 million people had benefited from welfare schemes including ration cards, Himmat cards and minority cards.

Over 1 million differently-abled individuals have received support through the Himmat card programme, with plans to expand financial assistance to 200,000 more people in the next fiscal year, the meeting was told

The government has also provided monthly financial assistance to more than 1.4 million low-income individuals through ration cards, officials said.

Maryam Nawaz directed the authorities concerned to expand social welfare initiatives, including a mass wedding programme targeting 9,000 would-be couples, and to improve services for vulnerable groups, including women, children and orphaned minors.

“Our objective is the welfare and support of the common man,” she said, adding that the social welfare department would be made more public-friendly along the lines of European models.