May 26, 2002	Sunday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 13,1423

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MARDAN, May 25: The provincial president of Anjuman Kashtkaran, Abdul Halim Khan, has expressed concern over the government’s failure in resolving the problems of the farming community of the NWFP.

Mr Halim told reporters at the Mardan Press Club on Friday that growers were facing severe problems like non-availability of quality seed, fertilizer, pesticide, insecticide as well as a proper market to sell their produce.

He deplored that despite an official promise with the growers that wheat would be purchased from them at Rs375 per 50kg, the current rate was Rs320. He further said that the centre for purchase of wheat had been set up at Takhtbai where growers would not take their produce because of transport expenses involved.

Last year, he pointed out, Sona urea and Kissan urea were available at Rs330 and Rs350, respectively, but now their rates were Rs410 and Rs385. He termed it injustice and cruelty with farmers.

On the one hand, he said, the dealers sold adulterated and outdated fertilizer, insecticide and pesticide to growers and on the other the revenue department increased tax, abyana and malya by 25 per cent every year.

The Kashtkaran leader pointed out that earlier the deputy commissioner was supposed to act as a cane commissioner to mediate between the growers and sugar mills management. But, he said, with the devolution of power cane commissioner’s post was abolished, creating problems for cane growers.

He suggested that in the absence of the cane commissioner, the concerned district Nazim should be authorized to play mediator between the administration and growers.

Referring to an earlier announcement that the government had made following a severe drought waiving loans up to Rs25,000 and interest on loans exceeding Rs25,000, Mr Halim said that the procedure to benefit from the concession was so complicated that a small grower cannot simply avail of the facility.

The provincial general secretary of Anjuman Kashtkaran, Ismail Jan Khan, spoke of the problems being faced by tobacco growers.