Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz on Monday launched computerized balloting for the ‘Apna Khet Apna Rozgar’ scheme, under which 30,000 landless and low-income families have been given cultivable government land on a 20-year lease at a nominal annual rent of Rs100 per acre.
A total of 121,000 acres of government land has been allocated to beneficiaries as part of the initiative, which aims to help them build sustainable farming livelihoods. The provincial government will also provide Rs50,000 per acre for land preparation, while the Agriculture Extension Department will offer technical assistance to improve agricultural productivity.
Addressing the launch ceremony, the chief minister said the initiative is designed to empower families without agricultural land by providing them with a long-term source of income rather than short-term financial assistance. She said the initiative would strengthen Punjab’s agricultural sector, restore dignity and promote self-reliance among deserving families.
To demonstrate transparency in the computerized balloting, Maryam called the first successful applicant, Abdul Sattar, son of Mukhtar Ahmed from Faisalabad, to congratulate him on receiving cultivable land. “Congratulations, you are now the leaseholder of this land for the next 20 years,” she told the beneficiary.
The initiative received more than 60,000 applications, including around 11,000 from women. Nearly 29,000 plots were allocated through a 100% merit-based computerized balloting process. Allotment letters will be issued to successful applicants within a week, while possession of the land is expected to be handed over by July 31.
According to the chief minister, the initiative will boost agricultural production, create sustainable livelihoods, and provide long-term financial security for deserving families. She added that the government plans to expand the programme in future phases by identifying additional cultivable state land across Punjab.
