July 04, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 18, 1428

QUETTA, July 3: The Balochistan Farmers’ Action Committee (BFAC) has demanded of the government to declare all 29 districts of the province as calamity-hit as recent rains and floods had destroyed all crops besides wreaking havoc on an unprecedented scale.

Speaking at a press conference at the Quetta Press Club, BFAC President Agha Taj Muhammad demanded of the government to announce Rs150 billion package for the province to compensate the losses suffered by the people because of the floods and rains.

He said that rains and floods had caused a loss of Rs100 billion to farmers alone, adding that the rehabilitation programme should be carried out by the army, NGOs and representatives of growers.

He said that doctors’ teams should be dispatched to affected areas so that outbreak of different diseases could be checked.

He regretted that the government had not only failed to provide relief goods to the people, but it also failed to move marooned people to safer places.

He expressed the hope that President Gen Pervez Musharraf, during his visit to the province on Wednesday, would announce a special package for the marooned people.

He demanded of the government to issue a notification about President Gen Musharraf’s announcement in Hub on May 6, 2006. During his visit, the president had promised to farmers of the area that the government would waive Rs6 billion loans of agriculture bank advanced to farmers of Balochistan.

BFAC president also demanded that keeping in view the losses suffered by farmers of the province, the government should provide free of cost electricity to growers for at least three years to come.