LAHORE, March 25: The Pakistan Kissan Rabita Committee on Tuesday staged a demonstration outside the Lahore Press Club here to protest against the withdrawal of subsidy on rent of agricultural machinery by the Punjab caretaker government.

The farmers displayed banners and placards and raised slogans against the government for taking the policy decision of raising the fare of agricultural machinery substantially.

Speaking on the occasion, committee secretary Farooq Tariq said the caretaker government had made the use of bulldozers impossible by raising the rent from Rs350 to Rs1,200 per hour. All the 350 bulldozers available with the agriculture engineering wing were standing idle because the farmers were unable to pay the exorbitant rent.

He said the withdrawal of subsidy on agricultural machinery under the World Trade Organisation regime would discourage its use by the farmers with limited means and affect the agri production.

Anjuman Mazaraeen Punjab vice-president Mian Muhammad Ashraf said the subsidy should be restored as the caretaker government did not have the authority to take the policy decision of its abolition.