SHAHDADKOT, Nov 27: Hundreds of small landowners and growers on Monday staged a rally to protest against issuance of notices by banks for non-payment of agricultural loans.

The protesters led by Moulvi Abdur Rashid Khoso, Rab Dino Kerio and Habibullah, marched upto the local press club where they observed a token hunger.

Mr Khoso said that the small landowners had been facing shortage of irrigation water since last ten years, which had rendered thousands of acres of agricultural land barren and forced many farmers to migrate to other areas.

He regretted that the bank authorities, without taking into consideration the havoc wrecked by heavy rains and the water shortage, were harassing farmers by issuing notices warning that their lands would be sold by auction if they delayed payment of agricultural loans.

Citing Rs230 million loan write-off of 101 big landlords by Agriculture Development Bank, he demanded that the banks should extend the same facility to small landowners also.

He demanded that the prime minister announce waiver of outstanding dues of small growers of Shahdadkot taluka. As the protest prolonged Shahdadkot Taluka Nazim Hussain Bux Khaskheli came to hold talks with growers and assured them that he would get their problem solved.—PPI