HYDERABAD, Jan 5: The Sindh Abadgar Board on Saturday demanded of the government to exempt the growers from payment of water charges, agricultural loans and other taxes.

The demand was made in the monthly meeting of the working committee of the board.

The meeting, presided over by the president of the SAB, Abdul Majeed Nizamani, discussed in detail the situation arising out of shortage of water, dwindling crop production, low prices of crops and delay in the commencement of crushing season.

It said the growers would be forced to protest if exemptions were not granted.

The meeting reiterated that the growers had suffered a loss of Rs27 billion during the past two years.

It observed 85 per cent of the population of Sindh was living below poverty line.

The meeting observed according to the reports of the Asian Development Bank and the State Bank, Sindh was the poorest province in the country and it had suffered extraordinary losses.

It predicted the agriculture sector of the province was likely to suffer a loss, amounting to Rs20 billion, during the current year.

The meeting called for urgent announcement of the tax exemptions, besides making loans available on an urgent basis to save the people of Sindh from starvation and to save the agriculture sector of the province.

It also explained its point of view to the SIDA officials about the distribution of irrigation water and discussed proposals of lining of watercourses, construction of dams in Kohistan and other areas as well as matters relating to Manchhar, Hammal and Keenjhar lakes and Chotiariyoon Dam.

The meeting argued Sindh province should be exempted from making any contribution towards the drainage programme as it was at the receiving end of the contaminated water of the entire country and its rich agricultural land was being badly affected.