Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Sheikh Aftab Ahmad told the Senate that the Government was taking different steps for the promotion of agriculture sector.
He said wheat‚ rice and sugar are available in surplus quantity. The Minister of State said allocations for Income Support Programme has been increased to help the poor.
He said price hike is an international phenomena and the government is using all available resources to contain it. To another question‚ Sheikh Aftab Ahmad said tea is being cultivated at present at thirty-five acres of land in the country while nursery has been established at 4.5 acres of land. He said keeping in view the increasing demand of tea‚ research institutions are working hard to enhance tea production.
He said under 18th constitutional amendment agriculture department has been devolved to the provinces and the federal government is cooperating with the provincial governments for increasing the tea production to save the precious foreign exchange reserves.
Answering a question‚ the Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs said Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has banned the night mobile phone packages by the mobile phone companies. The chair referred the matter of night packages to the relevant standing committee of the House with the direction to give report in this regard after investigation.
