LAYYAH, Jan 26: The district council on Monday adopted a resolution condemning the Punjab government for launching a media campaign against district nazims on alleged corruption charges.

The council met here with convener Amir Muhammad Dullo in the chair also criticised the provincial government for ‘revamping’ the local government system.

It also demanded transfer of the Kot Sultan station house officer for his allegedly victimising political opponents of local MPA belonging to the PML-N.On the request of District Nazim Malik Gulham Haider Thind, the council adopted the resolution condemning the media campaign launched by the Punjab government against district nazims on alleged corruption charges.

In another resolution, it demanded that funds for ongoing development project should not be curtailed or withheld.

It also demanded Wapda start village electrification schemes for which funds had already been transferred to the authority by the district government.

It demanded the works and services EDO start maintenance and repair work of roads and buildings for which Rs80 million had been allocated by the district government.

IRRIGATION: The Punjab government has launched Rs7 billion drip irrigation programme to irrigate 18,000 acres of land.

Punjab Agriculture Minister Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh inaugurated the drip irrigation system, first of its kind in public sector, at agriculture adoptive research farm in Karor Lal Essan on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, Aulakh said that food security had become top economic issue at regional as well as global level. However, the major impediment of water sacristy might be minimised by adopting modern irrigation techniques.

“Flood irrigation requires abundance of water which country like Pakistan with acute water shortage can not afford and modern irrigation techniques like drip irrigation must be adopted to mitigate shortage challenges,” Aulakh added.

The minister said that China and India had already adopted drip irrigation system. He urged scientist to develop indigenous techniques to reduce installation cost of this sophisticated system so that maximum number of farmers could utilise this facility.Abdul Majid, who is director-general of Punjab Water Management, said the federal government allocated Rs1.8 billion for the drip and sprinkle irrigation system and the Punjab government allocated Rs1.2 billion to start the alternative system to irrigate 18,000 acres of land.

He assured that financial allocations and targeted area would be enhanced to 35 districts in the coming year.

Sheikh Abdul Maalik, a field engineer of Jaffer Brothers, said the drip irrigation system could save 50 per cent of water resources and enhance 25 per cent yield. He said that 400,000 acres of land would be irrigated by the drip irrigation by June this year.