DUSHANBE, February 27, 2014, Asia-Plus – A meeting of the government, held by President Emomali Rahmon on February 26, discussed a number of agricultural issues and new structures of a number of ministries and agencies, according to the Tajik president’s official website.

Firstly, the government reportedly discussed the personnel issues and endorsed compositions of the boards of the Ministry of Interior and Amonatbonk (Tajikistan’s savings bank).

Then the meeting discussed issues related to distribution of agricultural lands.  Tajikistan now has 14,255.4 million hectares of lands, including 750,000 hectares of irrigated lands.

In recent year, the area of irrigated lands has reportedly increased by 339 hectares.

At the same time, the area of irrigated lands under crops has decreased by 3,095 hectares and the area of permanent irrigated gardens has increased by 4,110 hectares.

The meeting also discussed the issue of the upcoming spring conscription campaign and endorsed the composition of the conscription commission led by Deputy Prime Minister, Ms. Marhabo Jabbori.

Besides, the meeting discussed and endorsed new structures of a number of ministries and agencies of the country.

The government also approved the concept of innovative development of the country’s agrarian sector.

The meeting also endorsed a number of draft laws offering amendments to the laws on the operational-and-search activity and the armed forces as well as the administrative and criminal codes of the country.

At the end of the meeting, President Rahmon ordered relevant ministries and agencies to take adequate measures to accelerate the spring sowing campaign, ensure preparedness for natural disasters and open the border crossing point (BCP) and marketplace for border trade between Tajikistan and Afghanistan in the Vanj district of the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO).