MULTAN, April 19: President Gen Pervez Musharraf announced on Friday lifting of the entire wheat stock with the growers at a support price of Rs300 per 40kg as well as one-third subsidy on power consumption by farm tubewells.

He was speaking at a public meeting here at the Cricket Stadium in connection with his ongoing campaign aimed at electing himself president for the next five years through a referendum to be held on April 30.

The president hoped that subsidy on tubewells would bridge the gap between water requirement and its prevailing shortage and added that the cost for the concession would be shared by Wapda and the respective provincial governments.

He assured the gathering that the government would ensure the wheat price of Rs300 per 40kg. “The government will lift even the last grain to dispose of all the surplus wheat,” he said, adding “I have directed the Passco and provincial food departments to procure wheat directly from growers so that they can benefit from the official procurement operation.”

The president underlined the need for controlling the dieback disease that had been devastating the mango orchards and said that the government would soon provide all the facilities at the Multan airport for exporting fruits and vegetables.

He said the Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan had so far advanced micro-loans totalling Rs12 billion to the small growers during the current fiscal and added that more loans worth Rs10 billion were likely to be given to the farming community soon.

Gen Musharraf said his government was paying special attention to the infrastructure building and therefore, he added, he had ordered the construction of M-4 motorway from Faisalabad to Multan while the Dera Ghazi Khan-Multan Road would be made dual carriageway to link it to the Indus Highway.

He said the provincial governments had been directed to introduce housing schemes for low income groups.

Commenting on his opposition from political parties, the president said he was not afraid of anybody whether he or she was in Pakistan or abroad. The overwhelming support from people has given him the strength, he claimed and urged people to support him to show the world that they were with him and that he was not alone.

Responding to the demands of Nazims, the president announced a Rs500 million grant for the improvement of drainage and water supply system in Multan. “I want to see Multan as Lahore of Southern Punjab.”

Earlier, Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool urged the gathering to vote Gen Musharraf in the referendum for the continuity of the policies the president had initiated under his seven-point agenda to bring prosperity to the country and to fight the menace of sectarianism.

The district Nazims of Vehari, Lodhran, Khanewal, Sahiwal and Pakpattan and acting district Nazim of Multan also spoke and pledged to support the general in the referendum.

Pakistan Awami Tehrik, Millat Party, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf, PML(Q) and Awam Dost Group of Multan district council brought their workers to the rally apart from those transported to the venue by the district and tehsil Nazims.

A large number of government employees were also present in the stadium who had been directed by their officers to attend the rally.

APP ADDS: The president said the governor had been issued directives to give proprietary rights to the dwellers of Kutcha Abadis.