Operationalization of FOs in LBDCIP Sahiwal

Punjab Irrigation & Drainage Authority has constituted as many as 51 Farmers Organizations in Lower Bari Doab Canal System. These FOs will be responsible for the maitaining of canals in their respective areas under public private partnership.

In this regard, a departmental meeting was held in the office of PIDA with General Manager (TM) Syed Faiz Muhayudin in the Chair. Among others,General Manager (OP) Ch. Karamat Ali, General Manager (Finance) Asif Sohail, Deputy General Manager(TM) NajmusSaqib Rehmani, Deputy General Manager (SM) Shaiq Hussain Abdi and the Project Director Lower Bari Doab Canal Improvement Project Syed Mehmood ul Hasan Shah also attended the meeting.

The meeting held a detailed review of arrangements of transferring irrigation management to the farmers organizations in the LBDC system. The Program Director LBDCIP briefed the meeting about operationalization of FOs and told that agreement-deeds of Irrigation Management Transfer have been arranged. Similarly, arrangements of the setting-up of offices for FOs and provision of staff have also been completed. The meeting proposed that Irrigation Management Units of FOs in the Area Water Board of LBDC should be constituted in such a way which could provide the maximum benefite to the farmers.

The meeting expressed the satisfaction that the public private partnership has given confidence to the farmers and now they are fully involved in the irrigation management.