Federal Minister for Food and Agriculture Nazar Muhammad Gondal on Tuesday said agricultural growth is must for economic uplift of the country and creating awareness among farmers about modern agricultural techniques was key to agriculture progress.

The decades-old pine trees are under threat, as Capital Development Authority (CDA) still lacks any equipment to relocate large trees, impeding the construction of Zero Point Interchange (ZPI).

The Federal Shariat Court (FSC) has dismissed several petitions by pesticide sellers, and has observed that to punish sellers of adulterated pesticides is not un-Islamic. The court observed the people who possessed adulterated pesticides were liable to punishment regardless of where they got the pesticides from.

Despite declaring agriculture as a priority sector of the country, the outreach of commercial banks credit facilities is restricted to only 1.95 million out of total 6.6 million farm households across the country, sources told Daily Times here on Friday.

Capital Development Authority (CDA) has relocated over 500 trees from the site of under-construction Zero Point Interchange (ZPI), said CDA Director General (DG), Environment, Dr Suleman Sheikh on Friday. He said the authority had made slight changes in design of the ZPI loops and slip roads to avoid further relocation of grownup trees falling in the work area.

The Capital Development Authority (CDA) has prepared the structural designs of Kashmir Highway and Khayaban-e-Margalla and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will inaugurate these two projects next month.

The sources said Kashmir Highway

Capital Development Authority (CDA) has planned to install 40 new fountains in various areas of the city to beautify it and provide entertainment to the citizens, said CDA Director, Parks, Malik Abid. He said 14 fountains were already functioning in the city.

Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) on Monday approved construction of Rs 5.3 billion Cherah Dam on Soan River to meet rising drinking water demands of Rawalpindi and Islamabad.

The Pakistan government and the World Bank (WB) signed two agreements for polio eradication on Saturday.

The WB initially provided the total amount under both the agreements amounting to $67.84 million to the Health Ministry as a credit in 2007. However, under a buy-down arrangement the WB converted the credit into grant with the support of Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

Satellite Scanning Traffic Signals will be installed in the city soon, said Chief Traffic Officer (CTO) Raja Riffat Mukhtar on Thursday. Talking to journalists at the City Traffic Police headquarters, he said tenders had been issued and system was being imported from Australia.

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