43rd PIDA Authority Meeting

The 43^rd Authority meeting of PIDA was held in the main committee room of Irrigation Department on April 6, 2012 with Minister for Irrigation/ Chairman PIDA Malik Ahmad Ali Aulakh in the Chair. Abdul Rahman Rana, Karam Elahi Bandial, Rana Mubasher Iqbal, Ali Haider Noor Khan Niazi, Javed Hassan Gujjar and Syed Abrar Hussain Shah being the farmer members of PIDA and the representatives of P&D, Agriculture and Finance Departments including the General Managers of PIDA participated in the meeting.

The Authority decided to amend the rules for Farmers’ Organizations and Area Water Boards and to forward these to the provincial government for approval. The purpose to amend these rules is to ensure equitable distribution of canal water among the farmers and resolution of different issues being faced by the farming community at local level. The participants were given a detailed briefing about the performance of farmers’ organization set up in different Area Water Boards.

The Authority decided to increase the tenure of Farmers Organizations up to five years from three years and to conduct the elections of AWB members on same day. It was also proposed to increase the funds for AWB elections up to 0.5 percent. The Authority agreed to keeps the newly formed FOs in category B and promote in category A on showing good performance. However, the poor performers would be kept in category B for another year. The authority members approved the annual PIDA budget for the year 2011-12 and decided to send the case of 15% Adhoc relief allowance of employees to the Chief Secretary Punjab. It was also recommended in the meeting to provide required funds for the completion of under construction AWBs building in Lower Chenab Canal System.

While addressing the meeting, the Minister Irrigation/Chairman PIDA said that the present government is very keen to facilitate the farmers at all level and their participation in irrigation management is a part of those efforts. He urged the farmers to play their active role towards improving the participatory irrigation management system in order to ensure the equitable water supplies. He also called for solid steps to curtail water theft and maximum recovery of Abiana.