August 16, 2008	Saturday	Sha'aban 13, 1429

MIRPURKHAS, Aug 15: Growers of Bhurgari Shakh (branch), fed by Mithrao canal, expressed concern over closure of the shakh under rotation programme and condemned the attitude of the officials of Mithrao division.

The growers, including Naveed Maher, Javed Khan, Aijaz Panhwar, Abdul Aziz and others told journalists that despite rainfall and sufficient availability of water in Mithrao canal, irrigational officials were implementing rotation programme particularly in Samaro sub-division with the result that cotton, chilli and other crops were adversely being affected.

They said that Sindh chief minister had announced an end to the rotation programme in Nara canal but the bureaucracy was still operating it in the Nara canal to extort money from the growers and the landlords on the pretext of supplying irrigation water.

They demanded of chief minister, governor of Sindh, managing director of SIDA, director Nara canal and the executive engineer Mithrao division to take notice of the matter and end the rotation programme, open the distributary and bring an end to culture of extortion by officials.

Rally against landlord: A Hindu family took out a rally from railway station chowk to local press club here on Friday to protest atrocities of landlord Odharam of Karachi.

Carrying placards, they marched on main roads and reached the press club where they told journalists that they were working as labourer for Odharam, a landlord of Gadap town Karachi, for the last one year.

They said that they were issued threats of dire consequences by the landlord and his kamdar Naroo Mal, who also committed atrocities against them when they sought their wages for labour.

They demanded of the government to take legal action against the landlord.