Meeting with peasants’ deputation at Lahore on January 30, 1973

President Zulfikar Ali Bhutto said that his Government would take every possible step to safeguard the interests of peasants and would see to it that the country achieved self-sufficiency in food in the shortest possible time.

The President was taking to a deputation of peasants who called on him at the Governor’s House. The President told the deputation the procedure for distribution of fertilizers was being streamlined so that the peasants did not face any difficulty in the procurement of this essential requirement for food production.

The Provincial Government has drawn up a scheme under which cooperative Societies at village level and federations of cooperative societies at district level would be set up for equitable distribution of fertilizers among the peasants. The peasants will have effective participation in these societies so that the bottle-necks in the system are removed satisfactorily and the fertilizers reach the door-steps of the peasants without any let or hindrance.

On complaints that there had been instances of overbilling by WAPDA in respect of tube well electricity charges, the President assured the deputation that their genuine grievances would be looked into and a satisfactory way would be found out in consultation with WAPDA authorities in the matter.

On his attention being drawn to the wastage of fruit, particularly that of citrus fruit and to the suggestion that a plant should be set up at Sargodha for packing and grading of the same, the President said that the Government would give priority to this matte.

The President agreed with a suggestion that production and climate of an area should be kept in view while setting up agro based industries in the province.

On his attention being drawn to the plight of the war affected cultivators in the mine areas of the border districts of the Punjab, the President told the deputation that land revenue in respect of such areas would be exempted.

The President told the deputation that their complaint regarding bank loans would also be looked into and where necessary steps would be taken to simplify the procedure.

The President also agreed with the delegation on the need to improve poultry and livestock farming and asked the Chief Minister to take measures to simplify the procedure.

He told the peasants that problems facing them were uppermost in his mind and everything possible would be done to ameliorate their lot. He told them that many more decisions would be taken by the Government in the field of rural uplift to the satisfaction of the peasantry. He exhorted them to work with more dedication for the realization of the goal of self-sufficiency, to which the Government was committed.

The peasants expressed their deep sense of gratitude to the President for giving them an opportunity to exchange view with him on matters concerning their welfare and said that the entire class of peasantry fully supported him in the implementation of the Land Reforms which, they said, had opened a new chapter in their history and brought them nearer to progress and prosperity.