LAHORE, June 23: The Kissan Board Pakistan has criticized the government for allocating Rs66 billion for lining of watercourses, which they claim is "a conceptually flawed and economically tragic project."

Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, KBP President Sadiq Khaqwani and secretary-general Ibrahim Mughal, who also claim support of other farmer bodies, said the plan to save eight-million-acre-foot water did not stand scrutiny of logic.

Citing official figures, the KBP leaders proved that major water losses were suffered at canal and distributary stages. These losses had not exceeded 13maf in the last 40 years, they said, asking how could lining of watercourses that hardly constituted 20 per cent of the whole irrigation system save 8maf water out of total loss. And only one-third of the watercourses had been lined, they added. "Those misleading the presidency should be asked to submit a bond that they will prove the saving after the completion of the project.

Such decision-makers normally go scot free when projects fail to achieve results. The project managers are using the name of the president, who is responsible for seeing it through," they said.

The KBP leaders also feared that all this money would go down the drains because it would neither save 8maf water nor serve any other purpose, except opening another window to financial bungling. "The government is dealing with peripheral issue instead getting to the root cause of the crisis."

The project in-charge, they alleged, was a controversial person. "His own commitment with the government schemes is doubtful as he came under stinging criticism in the provincial assembly for not paying sugar cess of over Rs20 million, besides failing to sell thousands of tons of wheat to the official procurement agencies," the farmers said.

They suggested that the government must take other measures for conserving water. It should help farmers straighten and level watercourses and ensure semi-annual desilting. However, they said, the watercourses in brackish and sandy areas should be lined.

The government should concentrate on resource generation and that was possible by building dams. Otherwise, such illogical steps would do no good, they said.