HYDERABAD, June 28: The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture has demanded that watercourses in Badin and Thatta districts should be lined without any contribution from calamity-hit farmers.

Speaking at a news conference at the press club on Monday, office-bearers of the chamber from the two coastal districts said that growers of this tail-end area deserved a special package from the federal government as they had become bankrupt due to water shortages, cyclones, floods, heavy rains and breaches in the LBOD.

They said that except for the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited, all commercial banks and other financial institutions had failed to implement the agriculture packages recently announced by the president.

They appealed to the president to waive the total principal amount of agricultural loans up to Rs500,000 and 50 per cent of the capital amount up to Rs1 million payable in easy instalments during three years.

They urged that farmers of Badin and Thatta districts should be exempted from the payment of revenue arrears and given subsidy of Rs200,000 for the purchase of tractors without any taxes and contribution on easy instalments.

They said that growers should be given mark-up free loans recoverable after 10 years in easy instalments. They reminded the president that sick industries had been provided a relief of Rs23 billion and added that the farming community of the two districts should also be treated at par with the industrial sector and provided relief.

They appealed to the Sindh governor and chief minister to recommend to the federal government to announce a special relief package for the farming community of Thatta and Badin districts. Those who spoke on the occasion included president of the chamber Badin district, Mohammad Khan Sarijo, and general-secretary Mohammad Ali Shah.