MULTAN, Sep 03 (APP):Commissioner Maryam Khan said on Tuesday that the Kissan card was launched to provide farmers easy access to various government schemes, subsidies and loans.
In this regard, a review meeting on the Kissan card scheme was held under the chairmanship of Commissioner Maryam Khan. She said that Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif had inaugurated a revolutionary scheme to empower farmers economically across the province.
During the meeting, Maryam Khan instructed the Agriculture Department, Bank of Punjab, and district administration to ensure foolproof arrangements for issuance of the card. She maintained that practical steps should be taken to deliver the benefits of government policies to the public.
The Commissioner was briefed by officials from the Agriculture Department about the different features of the scheme. It was informed that farmers were being registered online for the program. Eligible farmers must own up to 12.5 acres of land. Farmers will need to register a mobile SIM against their own CNIC (PMD verified). Those who own land and have their land records available with PLRA will be entitled to loans, the officials remarked.
A digital verification interface will be created between the farmer’s registration database (through PITB) and the PLRA records. Following land registration and verification, further verification will be conducted by NADRA, and PMD.
After successful verification, the Chief Minister Kissan card will be issued to the farmer by the Bank of Punjab.
Initially, loans will be provided to farmers on a first-come, first-served basis. The maximum loan per farmer per season will be Rs 150,000 for up to 5 acres of land (Rs 30,000 per acre). The loan amount can only be used for the purchase of agricultural inputs such as fertilizers, seeds, etc.
So far, 18,628 farmers have been registered in the division.
