HYDERABAD, Sept 8: The Sindh Abadgar Board has expressed concern at riots over urea fertiliser sale and death of a grower during one such scuffle.

The SAB meeting was held here on Sunday under the chairmanship of Abdul Majeed Nizamani to discuss the situation arising out of fertiliser shortage.

It expressed surprise that even after abolition of the GST on gas and a subsidy of Rs11 billion to producers, a bag of Rs515 was not available for either Rs1,000.

The meeting observed that transportation of fertliser was being badly affected due to extortion by revenue, agriculture and police officials. It pointed out that crops in lower Sindh mature early and if fertiliser was not made available immediately, growers will likely suffer tremendous losses.

It demanded of the prime minister and the Sindh chief minister to supply 75 per cent imported fertiliser to growers of Sindh due to early maturity of crops and ensure its availability for Rabi crops at fixed rates to compensate them for Kharif crops loss.

It reminded the government that to attain autarky in wheat, DAP fertiliser was essential and demanded that its availability should be ensured at proper rates failing which, the country will have to spend millions of dollars on wheat import and said that in India even today, DAP fertiliser was available at the rate equivalent to Pakistani 944 rupees.

The meeting warned that inordinate increase in the prices of oil and electricity could lead to serious consequences like the African countries and demanded 45 per cent reduction in oil rates. It further demanded to strictly implement laws in regard to weight measures and anti-adulteration.

It pointed out that line losses had reached to 40 per cent because of inefficiency and corruption in Wapda which it was trying to cover by punishing poor consumers.

The meeting claimed Wapda tariff to be highest in the region but efficiency of its officials at zero. It argued that as per constitution, Wapda should have been dissolved in 1970 and demanded to hand it over to provinces along with bringing tube-well connections and running bills at par with India.

The meeting questioned as to why rotation programme had been introduced in 75 per cent of water channels and why 75 per cent tail-end channels were dry when ample water was available in River Indus.

The meeting demanded immediate halt to water theft and plugging of illegal cuts in water channels for ensured supply to tail-end growers.