LARKANA, Sept 15: Farmers, at a meeting with the DCO and agriculture bank and revenue officers held here on Wednesday, complained that the president's package for farmers was not being implemented.

The meeting reviewed the work on incentives for farmers announced by President Gen Pervez Musharraf. Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Abadgar Board leader Abdul Majeed Shaikh called for implementation of the president's package including waving off of farm loan and remission in land revenue for up to 16 acre.

The representatives of the banks informed the meeting that a notification in this regard had not been received by the banks so far. The regional manager of the Zarai Taraqqiati Bank said that only interest would be waved off and the loan amount would be recovered under the new policy.

DCO Abdul Razzak Qureshi assured the farmers that the president's package would be implemented in letter and spirit after guideline were received from the higher authorities.

The DCO directed the agriculture officers to check the sale of spurious pesticides in the district. He directed the EDO of agriculture to pay surprise visits to the dealers' depots of pesticides, fertilizers and other agriculture inputs and ensure that they did not increase their prices. He stressed the need for ensuring proper performance of agriculture field assistants.

ROBBERY: Some unidentified armed men sneaked into the house of one Nasrullah Bhutto in Muradwahan on Tuesday night. They overpowered the inmates, collected gold ornaments weighted at 10 tolas, Rs8,000 cash and household articles and escaped with booty.