MANSEHRA: The local farmers have announced that they will take the agriculture department to the court of law over the provision of ‘substandard’ wheat seeds, which haven’t germinated even three months after sowing.

“The agriculture department sold substandard wheat seeds to us [growers in Mansehra district] and suffered financial losses. We have been moving the court seeking the damages of our losses from it” farmer from Tanawal area Qazi Taib Tanoli told reporters here on Wednesday.

Led by Mr Tanoli, a group of peasants from Pulrah, Parhana, Sawanmera, Konsh and Siren areas said they cultivated the wheat seeds in the mid November last year, which couldn’t be germinated as yet.

“The agriculture department sold wheat seeds on the subsidised price of Rs2900 per 50kg bag to thousands of farmers in the district but almost all suffered financial losses,” farmer Bakhtiyar Tanoli said.

He said the issue was taken up with the agriculture department, but to no avail.

Grower Raheem Shah said wheat seeds were provided by the agriculture department at the subsidised rate under a government scheme but they couldn’t germinate.

Lawyer Khanzada Abdul Wahab said growers from different parts of the district approached him to file damages suits against the agriculture department as they suffered huge financial losses due to the supply of substandard wheat seeds.

“I hope that the court will order the government to compensate us for damages,” he said.

Meanwhile, assistant commissioner of Balakot tehsil Hamid Khan Buneri has directed the chief engineer (public health) to ensure the supply of clean drinking water to the people in Garlat and adjoining areas from the area’s only water scheme. He issued these directions during a visit to Garlat scheme on the people’s complaints about water shortage.

KILLED: A boy was killed after being run over by a tractor in Sum Galli area here on Wednesday.

Saeed Ali, 6, suffered critical injuries after tripping and falling while trying to ride a moving tractor. The residents shifted him to the civil hospital in Shinkiari, where doctors pronounced him dead.

Published in Dawn, February 4th, 2021