March 29, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 20, 1429

THATTA, March 28: The chamber of agriculture president, Thatta chapter, Syed Shahzad Shah, has condemned the alleged thrashing of a farmer and social worker by lower Pinyari division SDO Shoaib Ahmed Samoon and demanded a thorough inquiry into the matter.

He said that the irrigation water crisis in Ganj Bahar Wah, the main tributary feeding four union councils of taluka Mirpur Bathoro, was a man-made.

He was talking to reporters at outside the irrigation office of Daro where a group of farmers had set up a token hunger strike camp. Social activist and farmer Mohammad Siddique Soho was leading the camp.

The farmer protesters claimed that the SDO was abusing his authority by managing the water regulatory mechanism at his own free will.

Giving detail of the incident, Mr Shahzad on the occasion said that a group of farmers had approached SDO Shoaib Samoon after meeting the water regulators and convincing the authorities for releasing of water in Ganj Bahar.

The SDO, they claimed, instead of helping the growers, misbehaved with them and used derogatory language and thrashed Siddique Soho.

Mr Shahzad claimed that the SDO had erected cemented obstructions in flow of irrigation water in Ganj Bahar to accommodate some of his favourite farmers.

Mr Shahzad claimed he had received bribe for that.