Sindh cabinet decides to launch Kisan card

KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet decided to launch the Kisan Card to support farmers as per the ‘promise’ made by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his election campaign

Presiding over a cabinet meeting, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah said that Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has given clear instructions for the issuance of Kissan cards and preparing a plan to carry out development initiatives in every district.

CM Murad constituted a committee with the Minister of Irrigation, SMBR, and Secretary of Agriculture to start developing data and submit their recommendations.

The chief minister said that Kisan Cards would be issued to farmers benefiting from various government programmes. He added that it aimed at consolidating the recipient’s information for transparent and efficient implementation of these interventions.

Murad said that his government would develop a digital platform and provide all district administrations with user logins to enter details of farmers in their jurisdictions.

The information added to the system would pertain to demographics, contact details, crops and landholding patterns, livestock, irrigation system, and mechanization.

He said that this initiative would result in an appropriate allocation of schemes to the right farmers, ease in broadcasting messages to the larger masses, and the creation of a centralized database.

The chief minister said that the Kisan card holders would be given preference in the procurement of wheat and held in case of natural disasters.

It was also discussed and agreed that a farmer possessing up to 12 acres of land and cultivating him/herself would qualify for the Kisan Card for which a survey and registration work would be started within a week so that the card could be issued within six months.

It is pertinent to mention here that the PPP chairman during his election campaign on January 18 announced to giving a “Kisan Card” to provide relief to the farmers on the pattern of the Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP).

Addressing a public gathering in connection with the General Elections 2024 in Naushahro Feroze, the PPP chairman said that his party will form the federal as well as the Sindh government with the support of the people. He said that after becoming the prime minister, he would increase the basic salary to two times.

“We will also build three million new houses for the poor and give them ownership rights,” Bilawal said and added that the needy people will also get free electricity up to 300 units in the “Jiyala’s government”.