Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz has conducted the computerized balloting of the Apna Khet Apna Rozgar scheme, allocating 121,000 acres of cultivable government land to 30,000 landless families across the province.
Maryam Nawaz announced that 30,000 deserving families have been made owners and custodians of cultivable government land under the Apna Khet Apna Rozgar scheme.
The successful applicants have been granted cultivation rights for 20 years under a symbolic lease of Rs100 per year, giving landless families long-term security and an opportunity to build sustainable livelihoods.
She described the initiative as a milestone in empowering the poor, saying Punjab has become the only province to make ordinary citizens stakeholders in government-owned agricultural land.
Scheme reaches first milestone
Officials briefed the chief minister that the Apna Khet Apna Rozgar programme was launched on April 22.
According to the briefing, computerized balloting for 29,000 plots has been completed from among 60,000 applicants, including 11,000 women applicants.
Authorities said every applicant was given the opportunity for a personal hearing for the first time, while an appeal mechanism was also introduced to ensure transparency.
Successful applicants will receive allotment letters within a week, while complete land positioning will be finalized by July 31.
District committees have also been established to oversee implementation and issue lease certificates.
Financial support, technical assistance announced
The chief minister said the government is not only providing land but also financial and technical support to help beneficiaries begin farming.
Each successful family will receive Rs50,000 per acre for cultivation, while Agriculture Extension Department teams will provide technical assistance to improve productivity.
During a telephone conversation with successful applicant Abdul Sattar, son of Mukhtar Ahmed from Faisalabad, Maryam Nawaz congratulated him on receiving cultivable land.
She told him he had received four acres under the scheme and would only have to pay Rs100 per year under the lease arrangement.
She also informed him that he would receive Rs200,000 for land preparation so he would not have to depend on anyone else.
"Earn well, prosper and provide for your family," the chief minister told Abdul Sattar.
Govt promises dignity, financial independence
Maryam Nawaz said the initiative is designed for families that have no agricultural land and struggle to earn a living despite working hard. She said only deserving families without agricultural property are eligible for the scheme.
"Earn your own, eat your own and live with dignity," she said while congratulating the successful families.
She emphasized that beneficiaries would own the fruits of their labour.
"The harvest is yours, the income is yours, the hard work is yours, the sweat is yours and the profit is yours," she said.
"If the hard work is yours but the profit belongs to someone else, it is deeply painful. I am happy that now you will not have to compromise on your self-respect."
Up to five acres for most deserving families
The chief minister said the most deserving families have been allotted up to five acres of cultivable government land in their respective areas for the next 20 years. She added that wherever cultivable state land is available in Punjab, it will be identified and distributed among poor families.
According to Maryam Nawaz, the scheme specifically targets the poorest sections of society by restoring their dignity, creating financial independence and increasing agricultural production.
Maryam highlighted women's participation in the programme, saying 20% of the quota under the Apna Khet Apna Rozgar scheme has been reserved for women.
"Our daughters, mothers and sisters are entering agriculture alongside every other sector in Punjab," she said.
She added that women showed particularly strong interest in the Cholistan allocation, where 29% of applicants for the balloting covering 83,000 acres were women.
Merit-based selection
The chief minister said the entire balloting process was completed on 100% merit without political influence.
"There was no recommendation, no phone call and no outside influence," she said.
She maintained that the neediest families were selected and that the land would become a valuable asset for them over the next two decades.
CM Maryam said farmers are being empowered across Punjab, from Thal to Pothohar, while agriculture is being strengthened through land distribution, financial support and technical guidance.
She added that more families will be included in future phases of the Apna Khet Apna Rozgar scheme.
According to the chief minister, the government is providing a complete package that includes land, financial assistance and agricultural support to ensure beneficiaries can successfully cultivate their land.
Maryam recalled former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, saying she remembered how he had distributed his own land among farmers.
She described the Apna Khet Apna Rozgar programme as a continuation of the same vision of supporting farmers and strengthening agriculture in Punjab.
Expressing gratitude, she congratulated the 30,000 successful families and thanked officials, including agriculture minister and Senior Member Board of Revenue (SMBR) Nabeel Javed, for completing the programme in less than three months.
"Today is another great day," she said. "This major project has become a reality in a very short time."
