TOBA TEK SINGH, Aug 18: The flat rate of abiana (water cess) has been announced by the Punjab government just to please the feudal lords because their areas receive more water than the areas of small farmers.

This was stated by Pakistan Kissan Committee president Chaudhry Fateh Muhammad at a press briefing here on Monday.

He claimed that during the British rule, the irrigation water supply allowance had been approved for different districts at different rates. It was 2.64 cusecs per 1,000 acres in Faisalabad and Toba Tek Singh, 7.50 cusecs per 1,000 acres in Dera Ghazi Khan and Muzaffargarh, 7 cusecs per 1,000 acres in Rahim Yar Khan, 5.25 cusecs per 1,000 acres in Bahawalpur, 3.60 cusecs per 1,000 acres in Bahawalnagar, 3.25 cusecs per 1,000 acres in Multan.

He questioned that if the farmers of Toba Tek Singh district were supplied only 2.64 cusecs water per 1,000 acres, why they were being forced to pay abiana equal to the districts which were getting more water.

He demanded withdrawal of flat rate and installation of meters on outlets of water courses in the province to measure the water supply to the farmers so that they could be charged abiana according to the water consumption.