BAHA WALPUR - Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif inaugurated wheat harvesting here at Chak 153/M, Hasilpur, some 100-km away from here on Wednesday. On the occasion, addressing a gathering, the Punjab CM said that the Punjab government had been providing maximum facilities to the growers for the improvement of agricultural sector and prosperity of the farmers. He disclosed that the Punjab govt had given subsidy of Rs4 Billion on the provision of tractors to the farmers during last three years and Rs9,100m on the provision of agricultural inputs on subsidised rates. He announced that the Punjab government was committed to purchase the whole stack of wheat to meet the required demands and to save growers from any disturbance. Shahbaz Sharif claimed that that the farmers-friendly policies of the Punjab government had helped a lot to produce bumper wheat crop this season after cotton and sugarcane which was a healthy sign for the progress of agricultural sector. The Punjab CM assured the farmers that the Punjab govt would procure 4 million tones of wheat directly from the grower in order to eliminate the role of middlemen and priority would be given to the small growers in this process. He further said that the Punjab government had decided to export excessive wheat to earn foreign exchange which would be a good sign towards the improvement of national economy. CM Shahbaz announced to start Rescue 1122 service in Hasilpur besides the introduction of Postgraduate classes at Govt Degree College for Boys as well as the establishment of a Govt Degree College for Girls at Chhona Wala near Hasilpur.He also announced the up-gradation of the Tehsil Headquarters Hospital Hasilpur and the cons traction of a stadium for the provision of sports facilities in the area. Latter, Shahbaz Sharif visited Bahawalpur City and inaugurated the Vocational Training Institute, Craft Bazaar and a flyover on Railway track on Multan Road. Meanwhile, the growers of different areas staged a protest at Seraiki Chowk, Bahawalpur against the malpractices and indifferent attitude of the Revenue department and the agricultural department Bahawalpur in the wheat procurement process. While the TMA staff also staged a demonstration on the premises of the TMA Bahawalpur demanding increase in the salary on occasion of Punjab Chief Minister visit to Bahawalpur. Online adds: Shahbaz Sharif has said that mere sit-ins cannot stop US drone attacks until the whole nation forges unity against the violation of national sovereignty besides dependency on foreign aid is stopped. The public should take to the streets against the drone strikes as only condemnation statements and sit-ins cannot stop violation of Pakistani territory, said the chief minister while addressing the inauguration of wheat harvesting in Tehsil Hasilpur on Wednesday. People from Karachi to Khyber will have to unite to save national integrity, compelling the US to stop its (drone) strikes, he averred, pledging that the PML-N would fully support the public on the issue.