BADIN, Oct 16: Farmers of the calamity-hit areas of the district have demanded exemption in land revenue and water charges for Rabi-2003 and agricultural loan up to Rs100,000.

They expressed resentment over the harsh attitude of the Board of Revenue authorities for forced recovery of taxes from the rain-affected farmers.

President of Laar Abadgar Association Abdul Jabbar Gopang and others told journalists here on Saturday that the recovery orders amounted to adding insult to injury of the growers.

They recalled that in July 2003, rains and flood had wreaked havoc in the district, washed away settlements, killed more than 137 people and 30,000 cattle heads and damaged about 55,000 houses.

They said that the rains and flood had destroyed crops over 225,000 acres of land and caused a loss of Rs3 billion to the farmers.

They said that President Gen Pervez Musharraf, the then prime minister and chief minister had visited the affected areas and assured the flood victims of rehabilitation and compensation for their losses. They added that the Sindh government had declared Badin district a calamity-hit area and the then chief minister pledged help to the affected persons.

They said that the president had announced an agricultural package for the rain victims of Badin district including a halt to recovery of taxes.

However, the growers said that the Board of Revenue had strictly instructed the district revenue officers for early recovery from the growers for Rabi-2003.

They said that the orders had added to misery of the growers who were starving because of persisting shortage of water after the rains and flood.

They said that the revenue department knew well that they could never recover anything from the poor farmers.

They demanded waiving of revenue taxes and agricultural loans up to Rs100,000.

When contacted, the revenue EDO said that the recovery for Kharif 2003 had already been made and the recovery for Rabi 2003 had not been exempted but deferred for one year. He added that the revenue department was taking measures to recover the targeted amount of Rs20 million.

The Tapedars (recovery officials) said that they were facing hardships in the recovery because the growers were not prepared to pay a single paisa and the district nazim supported them.