Sindh cabinet approves Rs20bn DAP subsidy for wheat growers

KARACHI: The Sindh cabinet has approved a Rs20 billion Diammonium Phosphate (DAP) fertiliser subsidy package for wheat growers owning up to 25 acres, with more than 300,000 farmers expected to benefit from the scheme, Senior Minister Sharjeel Inam Memon said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference after a cabinet meeting chaired by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah, Memon said the provincial government had also approved the registration of new farmers and re-verification of existing registrations under the subsidy programme.

He said the chief minister had constituted a four-member committee to make recommendations on the DAP subsidy and the procurement price of wheat for the next season.

The committee would submit its recommendations within two weeks, he added.

“We will not allow fluctuations in the international market to burden Sindh’s farmers,” Memon said, adding that the provincial government was committed to supporting growers.

He said the government had provided Rs45 billion in subsidy during the previous phase, while Rs20 billion had now been allocated for the new package.

Sindh has 4.84m tonnes of wheat available

Memon said Sindh’s total wheat availability for 2026 stood at 4.84 million tonnes.

However, stored wheat stocks had declined from 1.18 million tonnes to around 700,000 tonnes, he said.

He said more than 800 unauthorised warehouses had been inspected across the province, while 257,738 tonnes of wheat had been seized during the inspections.

Of the seized wheat, around 190,000 tonnes had been recovered during action against hoarding, according to the minister.

The cabinet also approved an increase in the wheat storage limit for flour mills from one month to three months.

Memon said flour mills would, however, be required to maintain the price of flour at Rs112 per kilogram.

He added that the Pakistan Agricultural Storage and Services Corporation (PASSCO) would provide 223,455 tonnes of wheat to Sindh.

PIFTAC headquarters, AI hub approved

The Sindh cabinet also approved the establishment of headquarters and a modern data centre for the Pakistan Integrated Flood and Transboundary Alert Centre (PIFTAC).

Memon said the facility would include an artificial intelligence hub and modern field coordination rooms.

The cabinet approved additional funds of Rs441.9 million for the PIFTAC project and authorised the National Radio and Telecommunication Corporation (NRTC) to execute the project on a government-to-government basis.

The cabinet also approved a four-year term for the chairman and members of the Sindh Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (SPPRA).

Starwash programme for flood-hit districts

The provincial cabinet approved the draft agreement for the Starwash programme in flood-affected districts.

Memon said the first phase of the programme would provide water and sanitation facilities to between 1.2 million and 1.5 million people in Khairpur, Jamshoro, Badin and Naushehro Feroze.

He said water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure in the flood-affected areas would be operated and maintained for six years.

The cabinet also approved the handover of the 193-kilometre Nokot-Mithi-Islamkot-Nagarparkar-Chaelhar water supply system.

Memon said orders had also been issued to enhance the capacity of reverse osmosis plants in Mithi.

Memon rejects calls for new provinces

Responding to recent political statements about the creation of new provinces, Memon said certain remarks were deliberately aimed at provoking tensions.

He said the issue could not be decided on the basis of television talk shows, stressing that the Constitution clearly laid down the procedure for creating new provinces.

“The elected representatives of the people are sitting in parliament, so there is no need to worry,” he said.

Memon claimed that Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan leaders Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui and Mustafa Kamal had become politically irrelevant.

He said both were federal ministers in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz-led government and should resign if their demands were not accepted.

He said Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Rana Sanaullah had stated earlier that no discussion about new provinces had taken place in any cabinet meeting.

Memon described the statements surrounding the issue as “deliberate provocation” and reiterated that any change in the provincial structure had to follow the constitutional process.

He said “rejected politicians” were using the issue of new provinces to serve their own interests, and urged all sides to exercise restraint to prevent the political environment from deteriorating.

“We have to prevent the situation from becoming unpleasant and should demonstrate patience and restraint,” he said.

He stressed that the issue of new provinces should be resolved through elected representatives and parliament rather than through political statements or television debates.

Memon said the Pakistan Peoples Party took decisions within the framework of the Constitution and law and that the Sindh government and the party remained firm on their position.

He said laws governing the creation of provinces had already been passed and that the matter could be brought before the provincial assembly again if necessary.

“Instead of turning the matter into an unnecessary controversy, it should be dealt with according to the law,” he said.

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Memon calls for medical care for Imran Khan

Memon also expressed support for the recovery of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder and former prime minister Imran Khan, saying political differences should not come in the way of basic human compassion.

“I sincerely pray for the recovery of the PTI founder. Our prayers are for every sick person, including him,” he said.

He said political differences were separate from a person’s health and that “courtesy and humanity should not be abandoned” because of political disagreements.

Memon said every person should be provided basic medical facilities regardless of whether there was a court order.

“Medical facilities should be equal for everyone,” he said, adding that Imran Khan should be provided appropriate medical treatment and facilities at the hospital.