April 26, 2008	Saturday	Rabi-us-Sani 19, 1429

JHANG, April 25: The Pakistan Kissan Committee, Jhang chapter, lashed out at the government and the institutions concerned for their failure to save growers from exploitation by the sugar mills owners and the wheat mafia.

Committee president Sanaullah Ranjha and secretary-general Asghar Korana said that a recent incident in Sultanpur village where sugarcane grower Azam Bharwana set on fire his 12 acre standing crop in protest against the attitude of mills administration was enough to illustrate the plight of cane growers in the district.

They said the sugar mills had started the crushing season with a considerable delay to force the growers to sell their crop on their (mills) terms. Now, after purchasing the sugarcane at 30 to 40 per cent reduced rates, they are creating unnecessary impediments in disbursing dues to growers.

They said at a time when the wheat crop was being harvested and some of it was already on the doors of the food department purchase centers for sale, the department in connivance with the middlemen was discouraging farmers to sell their crop.

The first requirement for selling the commodity to purchase centres was the acquisition of gunny bags which was an uphill task as it required the bank guarantee, they said.

This condition, they said, was waived for influential landlords or those who could afford to grease the palms of food officials.

In case a small farmer succeeds in getting the gunny bags he has to get the right weight for his produce on the weight scales. The department scales are often faulty or they are deliberately made defective to seize an opportunity of extricating bribe from the seller.

Although the government has constituted several purchase committees and monitoring committees, they are usually of no use as they all are a part of the mafia.

Enlisting their demands, the district Kissan Committee said the government should provide gunny bags to growers without any bank guarantee. The purchase committees at the purchase centres should consist of representatives of farmers’ organizations instead of local councillors and so-called notables approved by food officials. Monitoring committees, comprising only genuine representatives of farmers, be constituted. The chief minister should constitute a monitoring team, consisting of honest officials, who shall conduct surprise raids on purchase centers and listen to the complaints of growers.

Besides, a complaint cell on wheat shall be set up in every district of the province.