HYDERABAD, July 14: Sindh Abadgar Board vice-president Dr Zulfiqar Yousfani appealed to the chief minister and the agriculture minister to end black-marketing of urea and other fertilisers and stop mill owners and dealers from fleecing the poor growers.

In a statement faxed to Dawn on Monday, Mr Yousfani said that urea was being sold at Rs725 to Rs750 per bag against the ex-mill price of Rs610 per bag.

He alleged that the mill owners had refused to sell urea directly to growers despite receiving billions of rupees subsidy, which was meant for facilitating growers and supporting agriculture sector.

He said that the dealers and mill owners had created artificial shortage of urea in the market to fleece poor growers and appealed to the chief minister and the minister for agriculture to end shortage of the essential agricultural inputs and control black-marketing of urea.

SAB: Sindh Minister for Education Pir Mazharul Haq has said that the government will increase funds for Sindhi Adabi Board so that it can achieve its objectives of preserving and promoting literature and history of the province.

Presiding over the first meeting of the reconstituted board of governors of the board at its head office on Sunday, the minister said that the board had chalked out a comprehensive plan to increase publication of books on Sindh in three languages.

He said that an outlet displaying books published by the board and other organisations would be established in Karachi to bring Sindhi literature and history to the access of people of the provincial capital.

He discussed various issues with the board members and disposed of a heavy agenda.