LAHORE: Caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi has decided to take measures to encourage the agriculture and other line department staff to give their best performance in the ongoing drive for bringing the maximum land under cotton cultivation.

A decision to this effect was announced at a meeting chaired by the chief minister on Sunday to review the progress on cotton sowing.

The meeting decided that besides giving cash awards to the farmers for better cotton production, the related staff would also be rewarded to achieve the target of cotton sowing.

It expressed a resolve to make every effort to save the cotton farmers from shortages of irrigation water, quality seedand fertilizer.

Mr Naqvi directed the officers concerned to achieve the cotton sowing and production targets in any case and ensure provision of irrigation water needed for the cotton crop. He asked them to fully monitor the growth of the crop till its harvesting.

He sought checking water theft incidents, sale of bogus pesticides and inferior quality seed in the market.

The meeting also reviewed the proposal of the crop survey through satellite.

All-Pakistan Textile Mills Association leader Gohar Ijaz, Fawad Mukhtar, the chief secretary, secretaries of agriculture, finance and irrigation were present in the meeting, while all divisional commissioners and agricultural experts participated in it through a video link.