Chief Minister Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Khalid Khurshid met the country director of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) in Gilgit on Saturday. Ongoing IFAD projects in the agricultural sector in G-B and proposed land reforms, etc. were discussed in the meeting.
While talking to the country director of IFAD, CM G-B said the development of the agricultural sector is a top priority of the government for which a steering committee has been established. The committee will focus on agricultural problems and solve them in a timely manner.
C-M G-B said his government aims to make G-B self-sufficient in the next three years in the agricultural sector. In this regard, the G-B government has initiated special projects to increase agricultural production at the local level. Measures are being taken for the production of fruits in the vast land range in Gilgit-Baltistan.
He further said that agricultural land is being protected through the introduction of land reforms. Gilgit-Baltistan needs international financial institutions and UN agencies to work in the field of agriculture.
CM Khalid Khurshid appreciated the role of IFAD and its commitment to the success of the ETI project. With IFAD support in the introduction of modern methods and provision of resources, self-sufficiency will come which in turn will lead to improvement in the quality of life and prosperity of the people. For the first time in Gilgit-Baltistan, projects worth billions have been launched in the field of agriculture and livestock.
The chief minister further said the local governmentactiont has been introduced. The local governments formed under this act will make the local community prosperous and independent in the real sense.
The Chief Minister said he has directed the concerned officers to take steps to address the land titling issue immediately. Soon the problem of land titling of these lands will be solved permanently and the agricultural sector will also get a boost.
While talking to CM, the country director of IFAD said that Gilgit-Baltistan is a unique region in terms of climate. By paying attention to the agricultural sector, the lives of the people can be improved. Large-scale lands are brought underwater in Gilgit-Baltistan under ETI to increase the production of commodities and provided them with market access.
The country director of IFAD appreciated the local government act and vision of CM G-B to bring prosperity to the local communities. He assured all possible cooperation for the prosperity of local people through agricultural development.
