Farmers in earthquake-affected areas provided seeds, fertilizers
By Tariq Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD—National Assembly was told Tuesday that the government and the relief agencies were making every possible effort to provide necessary agriculture inputs to farmers in the earthquake-affected areas to ensure cultivation of wheat crop.
Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock told the House that 28,000 acre agriculture land in NWFP and 15,000 acre in Azad Kashmir was affected from the earthquake.
Owners of this agriculture land have been provided free of cost seeds and fertilizers under the Crash Program of Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock between November 17-30, he said in response to the members.
The Parliamentary Secretary said so far the farmers in those areas have completed the wheat sowing process.
Moreover, he said, with the assistance of FAO, the Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock has distributed 200 metric tonne seeds and fertilizers each to date since November 14.
He said the government is also working on provision of facilities to farmers for the Khareef crop and welcomed the proposals of the opposition members.
He invited them to sit down with the government and discuss these proposals to further improve the ongoing relief and rehabilitation activities.
Earlier, MNAs Samia Raheel Qazi, Liaqat Baloch, Bilqees Saif, AbdulMujeeb Pirzada, Sher Akbar Khan and Zamurrad Khan had demanded of the government to ensure transparency in the relief and compensation distribution.
Samia Raheel Qazi feared more deaths due to heavy snow fall in coming days and said, effective measures were needed to save the people from severe winter.
She also demanded of the government to provide essential agricultural inputs to farmers and provide them cattle and other facilities to cultivate their lands.
Liaqat Baloch said, still the sufferings of the people had not come to end and they needed assistance from the government and the relief organizations.
Their cattle were killed and agricultural land was ruined that necessitates more efforts to rehabilitate their earning resources, Balochsaid.
Bilqees Saif proposed to rehabilitate the road links in the hard-to- reach areas and ensure that transportation of goods and travelling of the people is not affected.
Mujeeb Pirzada demanded to empower the Parliament to monitor the relief activities and address the miseries of masses.
Sher Akbar Khan said district Buner was ignored in relief activities and people did not get the aid.
Deputy Speaker National Assembly Sardar Yaqoob Khan said district Buner was not declared an effected district and in affected areas the government has already distributed one bag each of certified seeds and two bags each of Urea fertilizer among the farmers.
Zamurrad Khan called for making the disbursement process transparent and ensured that the aid amount reaches the genuine and deserving people.