MULTAN, Nov 7: The Kissan Bachao Tehrik has demanded stern action against, what it called, pesticide mafia and its patrons in the agriculture department.

A protest demonstration was organized here on Friday at the Kutchery Chowk in front of the district Nazim’s office. Dozens of growers and activists of the Pakistan Seraiki Party, the National Workers Party, the Pakistan People’s Party, the Mazdoor Mahaz and the Naujawan Mahaz took part in the demonstration. They were carrying banners and placards inscribed with slogans against the agricultural policies of the government and exploitation of pesticides firms with the ‘backing’ of agriculture department.

Leaders of various parties accused pesticide firms for marketing spurious pesticides and minting money at a crucial time by creating artificial shortage of the chemicals needed to combat the pest attack on cotton.

Demanding to declare cotton growing areas as calamity-hit, they urged the government to waive interest on agricultural loans, land revenue and water cess this year.

They claimed the crisis was created to pave the way for the introduction of corporate farming in the country because small farmers could not bear huge losses inflicted on them by the policy-makers and they would be left with no option except to quit the profession by selling their land at throwaway prices.

They demanded resignations of the federal and provincial agriculture ministers and a probe against the officials of the agriculture department who ran the ‘awareness campaign’ for cotton growers this year.

Later, the protesters met district Nazim Riaz Husain Qureshi and handed him over a protest letter.

DISMISSED: The excise and taxation director has terminated the service of an inspector for living beyond known sources of his income.