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Jabbar highlights

present govt's

achievements

RECORDER REPORT

HYDERABAD: The Advisor to the Chief Executive for National Security, Information and Media Development, Javed Jabbar, has said that the present government and the people had launched a joint struggle for the rights and empowerment of the people and added that the opposition parties were welcomed to join this struggle in furtherance of the common cause.

He was speaking at a meeting in the press programme and answering newsmen questions at the Hyderabad Press Club here on Sunday.

Painting a very rosy picture of the achievements of the present government during the last 120 days, he pointed out that there had been only an increase of two percent in sensitive price index (SPI) and 3.36 percent in the consumer price index (CPI) and added that these figures could be verified from independent sources.

Jabbar said that inflation was most difficult to handle but the government was doing everything possible to control this menace by keeping a vigilant eye on all the factors of production.

He said the government had increased the procurement price of wheat from Rs. 240 to Rs. 300 per 40 kg and expressed the hope that other incentives given to the growers, the country will achieve autarky for the first in many years in wheat production.

He said not only this but also Wapda had reduced power tariff to the agriculture sector by 25 percent. The payment of agricultural loan had been deferred for six to 12 months, and the amount of the ADBP had been increased from Rs. 30 billion to Rs. 37 billion.

Jabbar said that the positive effects of these incentives could be gauged from the fact that the use of DAP by the farmers had been increased by 38 percent and weedicide by 10 percent.

He also said that 0.3 million spindles which had been lying idle for a long period had been made operational.

He said this was indeed a very good sign as textile was the main stay of our exports.

APP adds: Javed Jabbar has said that the concept of local bodies would be completely changed after next local bodies elections and these bodies would not (not) only provide facilities of road repair, drinking water and cleanliness.

He was addressing the participants of a workshop on the subject of "Devolution of power to gross-roots level" jointly organised by a newspaper and SPO, here on Sunday.

He said that it was the first government which had announced holding of local bodies elections within two months after coming to power.

He said that the government was destined to devolve power at gross roots level.

Javed Jabar said that power would be devolved in trilateralism in which it would go from centre to provinces and from provinces to district level.

He said that vested interests were busy in negative propaganda. He said that they alleged that the government was moving slowly and demanded a time frame for the elections. He said that they did not see the positive steps taken by this government.

To a question he said that political process was unavoidable. However, he said that every citizen should become a politician as it was very important.

About the guarantees of the new system to be introduced by this government he said when once power would lay with the common people then no (no) one would be able to snatch it back.

About handing over a Super Highway to National Highway Authority (NHA) he said that the Authority had adequate equipment to maintain the Highway which was not present with the Provincial Highway Authority.

He said that it was for the first time that provinces had been given representation in Railway Board and National Highway Board.