QUETTA, April 17: Balochistan People’s Party Parliamentarians president Nawabzada Lashkari Khan Raisani has urged the government to waive bank loans and electricity charges of farmers in the province in the wake of losses they had suffered due to non-supply of power.

Speaking at a press conference here, he said prolonged load-shedding had badly damaged orchards and crops, particularly onion and potato, in the province.

He said 80 per cent people of Balochistan depended on agriculture for their livelihood.

He said seeds in fields had been destroyed on account of water shortage caused by 22-hour long power disruptions.

Mr Raisani said it was the responsibility of the government to protect electricity pylons in order to ensure regular power supply or it should provide generators to growers to run tube-wells.

He suggested that the government should buy oil from Iran on minimum prices for generators.

The PPP leader criticised performance of the management of Quetta Electric Supply Company in repairing damaged towers.