BADIN, Nov 24: To distribute state lands among the deserving male and female haris, revenue officer and DO revenue Badin, Jawad Akram held an open katchehry at Mukhtiarkar office here on Monday.

Around 2,227 acres of agricultural land in eight dehs of Badin taluka was distributed. Land Disposal Committee members including former district nazim Kamal Khan Chang, PPP leaders Mirza Sohail Akbar, Dr Aziz Memon, PPP district general secretary Abdul Ghafoor Nizamani and the journalists monitored the distribution process.

Paddy sale: Due to absence of Passsco’s procurement centres, rice millers continue to purchase paddy at the rate of Rs500 per 40kg in Golarchi and Rs600 in Badin.

Mohammad Saleh Chandio, a grower of Golarchi attributed paddy trade at lower rates to lack of attention by the authorities concerned and delay in opening Passco’s procurement centre to buy paddy from the growers in the district.

He said that the growers were forced to sell Irri-6 paddy at the lowest rate, if they did not harvest paddy, they would miss the sowing of the next crops. He lamented that the growers would not receive even the lowest price following deduction of 4 to 5 kg per maund in measurement.

Besides, the growers had to pay Rs6 to 7 per gunny bag as rent. He said the hiring and labourers charges were also paid by the farmers thus they sustain losses.

Mohammad Ameen Umrani of Tando Bagho said that most of the small growers would celebrate Eid with simplicity as they were not in a position to purchase clothes for their families and spare for “Qurbani” because, he said, they had been compelled to sell their produce at lowest rate with faulty measurement while the purchaser also deduct 50 per cent of the amount against loan and giving them a little amount. The growers have demanded of the government ensure opening of the paddy procurement centres in each town of the district.

RALLY: Badin Student Alliance activists took out a rally here on Monday in support of ad hoc lecturers, demanding their reinstatement and payment of arrears to them.

Led by Ghulam Rasool Soomro and Shahid Jokhio, students marched on main city roads and staged sit-in on Shah Latif Road.

They were raising slogans against the Sindh government’s decision to sack ad hoc lecturers and also criticised the government’s indecision to regularise the services of ad-hoc lecturers.