MULTAN, Oct 12: Chief Minister met various delegations at the local circuit house on Sunday which represented growers, traders, Multan chamber and office-bearers of various wings of the Pakistan Muslim League.

The growers’ representatives demanded that Multan be declared calamity-hit area owing to “unprecedented” pest attack on cotton this year. They also sought waiver in water cess, agriculture income tax and interest on farm loans.

They complained against the shortage of quality pesticides and sale of substandard pesticides in the market. They claimed the Punjab government was hampering implementation of the agricultural pesticides policy announced by the federal government in May last.

The CM, however, expressed surprise over the allegation that Punjab was creating hurdles in the implementation of the pesticides policy and promised to look into the matter. Punjab Agricultural Minister Arshad Lodhi was also present there but he seemed to have little knowledge about the issue.

The delegation of traders complained against the new property tax laws and the attitude of the provincial excise minister. The CM, however, assured them that the voice of traders would be heard regarding the new taxation and he would direct the excise minister to hold a meeting with them in Lahore to sort out the differences.

He also addressed a gathering of union council Nazims and their deputies on the lawns of the circuit house and announced a special grant of Rs2.5 million for each union council. He said the Asian Development Bank had approved water supply and sewerage schemes for the districts of south Punjab on the assurance by the Punjab government.

The CM also visited the Multan industrial estate and told the people there that he had allocated a revolving fund of Rs one million for the Punjab industrial estates development and management company to improve the infrastructure at the estates.

He also visited the Multan Divisional Public School for girls and announced a grant of Rs one million each for its boys and girls sections and directed the district government and the city tehsil municipal administration to allocate Rs 2.5m in their annual budget for the school. The local police authorities also briefed him about the security arrangements taken for the annual congregation of the Dawat-i-Islami scheduled here for Oct 17, 18 and 19.