ISLAMABAD (July 17 2009): The Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Minfa) has reportedly decided to three companies to supply 10,000 tractors to farmers under Benazir Tractor Scheme (BTS) scheduled to be launched shortly, official sources told Business Recorder on Thursday. The ed companies are Millat Tractors Limited, Al-Ghazi Tractors and Shahzad Trade Links, a Karachi-based exclusive agent of Belarus tractors, the sources added. The government, however, is giving key role to Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) in the BTS despite the fact that local tractor manufacturers have suggested to the government that the model of the very transparent Green Tractor scheme of the Punjab government should be followed where a ballot was held by the district co-ordination officers (DCOs) and the amount of the subsidy was directly released by the Agriculture Ministry without involving any bank guarantee, besides, all banks were allowed to participate in extending the loans to the lucky winners. "Farmers are free to the tractor of their choice, out of Millat, Fiat and imported models of Belarus-510 and 520 already available in Pakistan and being imported by Shahzad Trade Links," the sources added. Minsk Tractor Works has already refused dealership to G.M. International Trading Company, Avanti Corporation, Universal Tractors Limited, Karachi, Fecto Belaus Tractors Limited, Karachi, and Hero Motors Limited, Hyderabad, the sources quoted letters received by the Minfa from Belarus as revealing. Minfa Minister Nazar Muhamamd Gondal said on Wednesday at a meeting that the BTS would be implemented through Kissan Support Services (KSS), a subsidiary of ZTBL, whose President Zaka Ashraf was currently under debate in the National Assembly\'s Standing Committee on Finance, headed by PPP stalwart Fauzia Wahab, who wanted him summoned before the committee. On the other hand, commercial banks are raising the issue of being excluded from the scheme and are likely to take up the issue with the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) as well as with the Finance Ministry. The tractors would be distributed among farmers of all the four provinces, including Fata, Northern Areas and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). The government will pay Rs 4.6 billion subsidy on provision of 10,000 tractors to benefit poor and small farmers. According to sources, the government is determined to break the monopoly of local manufacturers due to the involvement of importers because the most popular brand is reportedly being sold to farmers after getting "on money." Criteria approved by the Federal Cabinet to be eligible for the scheme is as follows: -- In Punjab, farmers with land-holding from five to 50 acres; in Sindh and Balochistan: from five to 100 acres; and in NWFP, NA/Fata and AJK: from two to 50 acres. The government will give subsidy of Rs 0.2 million on each tractor as was announced in the Federal budget.