December 18, 2008	Thursday	Zilhaj 19, 1429

HYDERABAD, Dec 17: The Sindh Abadgar Board on Wednesday urged the Sindh chief minister to emulate Punjab by providing 3,500 tractors and agricultural implements to farmers at subsidised rates and at least 60 tractors as reward for achieving maximum yield.

In a communication addressed to the CM, the board’s president Abdul Majeed Nizamani said that the Punjab government had recently provided 10,000 tractors to its farmers at subsidised rates, paying Rs200,000 per unit from its own kitty and announced that it would award 200 tractors as gift to the farmers who would achieve maximum production of crops.

The Punjab government was also providing agricultural implements at subsidised rates and supplying earth movers like bulldozers on rent, he said.

But in comparison, the Sindh government had done nothing for growers, he said and stressed that unless Sindh emulated Punjab by offering incentives and concessions to growers, it should not expect better results.

Mr Nizamani said that Sindh produced one third of crops when compared to Punjab and its total cultivated area was also one third. There were certain variations in crop production mainly due to shortage of water and unavailability of resources coupled with indifference by federal and provincial governments, he said.

He said that the Sindh government, which had its majority electorate based in rural areas, must come up to the growers’ expectations, else, sector would not be able to perform.

He called for announcement of incentives for the small land holders through the agriculture department on non-political basis.

BAN SLATED: Markazi Jamaat Ahl-i-Hadees leader Ameer Abdullah Farooqui and Ahl-i-Sunnat leader Dr Aneesur Rehman have condemned the Mumbai carnage but criticised the Pakistan government for putting locks on mosques, religious schools and libraries.

They said at a news conference here on Wednesday that Pakistan faced a media war in the wake of Mumbai carnage and banned many welfare organisations and trusts under international pressure.