May 11, 2002	Saturday	Safar 27, 1423

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FAISALABAD, May 10: Punjab Governor Khalid Maqbool has said the government would take stern action against all those food department officials found cheating growers during wheat procurement drive.

Talking to farmers on Friday at Farooq Park centre in Jaranwala, about 26 kilometres from here, the governor claimed that the provincial food department would purchase all the wheat from farmers at the support price of Rs300 per 40 kilograms.

He said the government was committed to protect the rights of growers. “It is necessary if we want to boost our agrarian and national economy,” Governor Maqbool maintained.

He claimed that the Punjab government had already made elaborate arrangements for buying all the wheat brought to the purchase centres of the food department.

He said farmers’ ordeal at the food department procurement centres were being highlighted by the media. He said he would personally visit centres to resolve their problems.

Governor Maqbool said besides procuring all the wheat stocks from the growers, a strategy has been evolved for providing water, fertilizers, certified seed and pesticides to the cotton growers.

Later, addressing a gathering at the main chowk of Jaranwala city, he said he was surprised to learn that a majority of 850,000 population of Jaranwala were passing their lives without basic amenities like clean drinking water, drainage, roads and educational facilities.

He said the government would soon announce a package for the uplift of the area.

Governor Maqbool announced that a girls college would be set up at Satiana or Khurrianwala. Funds would be provided for facilitating the postgraduate classes at the Government College Jaranwala, recruitment of teachers and construction of a boundary wall.

MKP chief dies: A known progressive leader, writer and Pakistan Mazdoor Kisan Party chairman, Ghulam Nabi Kalu, died in his bed here on Thursday night. He was 80.

He was laid to rest in his native Chak 261-RB (Rahuwali).

Scores of his admirers, relatives, intellectuals, political workers, trade union leaders and representatives of farming community attended his funeral prayers.

In almost over six decades, Kalu has been active in progressive movements. He worked throughout his life for human rights and was in forefront in struggles of labourers and farmers.

Founder of the Faisalabad Press Club, he worked in various local newspapers and also brought out a number of booklets, journals in which problems of the oppressed/working classes highlighted.