Senior Punjab Minister, Raja Riaz Ahmad has said that a sum of Rs 11.3 billion has been earmarked in the next fiscal budget to regenerate and improve the 37000 kilometres long irrigation network in Punjab. He was talking to a visiting students' delegation of Agriculture University Faisalabad, who called on him at his residence, here on Sunday. At the outset of the meeting, Raja Riaz told the students that irrigation system in Punjab is one of the most important assets for the province as it plays pivotal role in the agriculture sector by providing water for the crops. Discussing the vision of the government to develop remote hinterlands on priority basis, he told that the government is giving priority to the development of Southern Punjab and pointed out that a project is underway to provide water supply and drainage facilities besides developing waster water treatment plant and link roads. Raja Riaz informed that Pida reforms have helped improved the maintenance and repair of irrigation assets in the canal command areas as the stakeholders especially the water users have been involved in the protection of canals. Senior Minister Raja Riaz told that it has been planned to provide stipends worth Rs 200 million to the needy and deserving students who are otherwise unable to bear the expenses of professional education. He further asked the students to delve into the agricultural research and help promote agricultural research so that the new and better varieties of crops could be developed. Copyright Business Recorder, 2008