PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Friday expressed his government`s inability to provide resources for the federal government`s Kissan Package saying the province`s resources are being utilised for the promotion of agriculture sector in line with the priorities set by the provincial government.

He said this while talking to federal minister for food security and research Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan at the Chief Minister`sHouse in Peshawar, said a statement issued here.

Provincial agriculture minister Ikramullah Khan Gandapur, special assistant to CM for livestock and fisheries Mohibullah Khan, agriculture secretary and senior officers concerned were also present in the meeting.

The federal minister while demanding of the provincial government to provide resources for the Kissan Package said the provision of50 percentfundsforthepackage were committed by the federal government, while the provision of the rest was the responsibility of the respective provinces.

He said Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had yet to provide their respective share for the package.

Responding to the demand of the federal minister, the chief minister said the mentioned package had been announced by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif without takingthe province into confidence and that was why funding of the package was the sole 11ability of the federal government.

The chief minister complained that the centre didn`t consult small provinces on national issues.

He said the agricultural products being subsidised under the Kissan Package didn`t `fall in the requirements of the farmers of the province.

Mr. Khattak informed the federal minister that the provincial government had already chalked out its own strategy for the promotion of agriculture and forest sector and that available resources were being incurred for the purpose.

He said the installation of tube wells, provision of free seeds and subsidisation of certain items were among the steps of his government being initiated for the welfare of cultivators.

He said it was the legal responsibility ofthe local government to spend 10 percent of its budget for the promotion of agriculture sector.

Responding to the `demand of the federal government for taking steps to reduce the cost of production enabling farmers to compete international market,` the chief minister said his government would share its proposal in this respect with the federal government after consulting stakeholders.

Taking note of the dispute over the agriculture research station in Kaghan between the federal and provincial governments, Mr.

Khattak set up a high-level committee headed by the chief secretary to devise a strategy to resolve the issue.

He also expressed reservations about the exclusion of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan from the representation in the CPEC committee and said such attitude was an injustice meted out to small provinces and that it was harmful to national integration.