ISLAMABAD: Punjab’s caretaker government has handed over at least 45,267 acres of land in three districts — Bhakkar, Khushab, and Sahiwal — of the province to the Pakistan Army for ‘Corporate Agriculture Farming’, local media reported quoting official documents.
The military’s land directorate had reportedly written to the Punjab chief secretary, Board of Revenue and secretaries of the agriculture, forest, livestock and irrigation departments to hand over 42,724-acre land in tehsils Kaloor Kot and Mankera in Bhakkar, 1,818 acres in tehsils Quaidabad and Khushab in Khushab, and 725 acres in tehsil Chichawatni of Sahiwal.
The letter dated March 10 2023, that has been going viral on multiple social media platforms for the past couple of days, referred to a notification of the Punjab government dated February 20, 2023, and a joint venture (JV) agreement of March 8.
It reminded that “while signing the JV management agreement on March 8, it was decided that state lands immediately required for the project be handed over to Pakistan Army.”
The JV has been signed between the military, the Punjab government, and private firms dealing with corporate farming, local media reported quotting informed sources.
Salient features of the proposed project
Describing the main features of the proposed project, the sources said that the Punjab government will provide the land while the army will utilise its resources and manage the project. Meanwhile, the private sector will invest and provide auxiliary support, including supplying fertilisers.
According to a report published in Dawn.com, military sources confirmed the development and said that the army was “not taking over the ownership of the land as it will remain the property” of the Punjab government, adding that “the intervention of the army will provide a coherent administrative structure.”
They said that the selected land is mostly barren, uncultivated, and under-cultivated, adding that the army with the support of relevant stakeholders, including its JV partners and locals, will convert this into fertile land.
The sources said that the Punjab Board of Revenue identified these lands for corporate farming purposes after conducting surveys for months.
Army not to benefit from the project: sources
Dawn.com cited military sources as saying that the project will be managed by retired army officers and the army will not earn any pecuniary benefit out of it rather the farming’s profit will go to the locals, the Punjab government, and firms investing in the project.
At least 40% of the revenue generated from the yield will go to the Punjab government, 20% will be spent on modern research and development in the agriculture sector, while the rest will be used for the succeeding crops and expansion of the project.
Different varieties of pulses, millets and rice will be cultivated in the first phase of the project and will be followed by large-scale cultivation of canola and wheat, according to sources.
