30 September 2004	Thursday	14 Shaban 1425

KASUR, Sept 29: Farmer organizations in tail-end villages and UC Nazims and Naib Nazims have threatened to stop abiana payment if water supply is not restored. They said around 16,000 acres had not been cultivated for the last six months due to non-availability of water.

In a statement here on Wednesday, UC Nazims Sardar Mehboobullah Dogar and Sajid Ali, Naib Nazims, Wakeel Ahmad, Mohammad Sharif and others said that the irrigation department had failed to end the shortage of water in Rajbahs Mudkey Rosa Bael, Dhariwal, Bhagiar Mar, Ghumankey, Dhariwal Chak, Tibba and some other places.

Meanwhile, farmers at the tail end of Hanjrai Mines Canal in Sara-i-Mughal said that more than 11,000 acres had not been cultivated for the last nine months due to non-availability of water.

In a joint statement issued here on Wednesday, Punjab Anjuman-i-Kashtkaran President Rai Afzal, Rao Nasir Mehmood and others accused influential landlords of stealing their share of water.

They regretted that they had reported the matter to the irrigation officer, but no action had yet been taken to ensure water supply to the tail-end areas. They urged the CM and the irrigation minister to ensure provision of water at the earliest.

SHOT DEAD: A man was shot dead by two persons at Manakdey village over a domestic dispute. Police said Muhammad Din and his son Mushtaq were at the house where Ramzan, the former son-in-law of Din, along with another man came and opened fire. Din died on the spot.