Sindh govt grants 52,000 acres of land to Green Corporate Initiative
KARACHI, Jan 20: An agreement has been finalized to allocate 52,000 acres of land in Sindh to the Green Corporate Initiative. Caretaker Provincial Revenue Minister Younis Daga announced the memorandum of understanding during a press conference at the Chief Minister's House in Karachi.
According to Daga, the agreement, spanning 20 years, involves the cultivation of barren land across six districts, with an initial allocation of 52,713 acres to the Green Corporate Initiative.
Daga revealed that this initiative follows a successful pilot project in Punjab for corporate agriculture farming. The agreement, signed between the Sindh government and Green Corporate Initiative (Pvt.) Limited, was attended by Ahmad Shah and Major General Shahid Nazir.
This initiative falls under the umbrella of the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), established under Chapter IIA of the Board of Investment Ordinance 2001. The SIFC Apex Committee and Executive Committee include Chief Ministers and Chief Secretaries of the provinces, respectively.
The decision to introduce Corporate Agriculture Farming (CAF) initiatives across Pakistan was collectively made by the federal and provincial governments, including the caretaker Sindh government. Conditions for CAF (Statement of Conditions - SoCs) were approved by the Sindh government on December 1, 2023, to ensure policy continuity.
Deputy Commissioners, as part of the pilot project, have identified approximately 52,713 acres of barren land, including areas in Khairpur, Tharparkar, Dadu, Thatta, Sajawal, and Badin.
The revenue minister emphasized that the land, to be leased for 20 years, will not encroach upon villages, slums, mohallas, temporary shelters, grazing land, seasonal cultivation, range, settlements, facilities, or potential mining areas. Exclusions also cover land designated for public purposes, such as motorways, highways, roads, prisons, railways, wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, heritage sites, religious places, cemeteries, and forest land, including mangrove habitats.
Clarifying ownership, Daga stated that the company must spend 20 percent of its net profit on local research and development. The land remains under the ownership of the Sindh government, with no impact on indigenous rights or water rights of the local population. Additionally, areas with mineral potential will be excluded.
