HYDERABAD, Oct 24: The Sindh Hari Committee has demanded that the government should distribute forest lands illegally occupied by feudal lords among landless peasants and poor farmers of respective areas.

The committee at its central body meeting held here on Saturday further demanded that poor peasants and small farmers whose lands had turned barren due to acute shortage of water should be paid compensation.

Azhar Jatoi presided over the meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Jatoi said areas of Larkana, Dadu and Badin which used to produce rice but had now become useless should be declared calamity- affected areas to provide relief to rice growers.

He demanded that the minimum support price for seed cotton (phutti) should be fixed at Rs1,500 per maund and for sugarcane at Rs50 per maund to at least meet the cost of production.

The meeting said peasant courts should be established to provide justice to peasants. It further said landlords who charged interests from peasants on seeds and fertilizers should be punished.

The committee demanded that the Tenancy Act should be made up to date and implemented in letter and spirit. The influx of outsiders into Sindh should be stopped, it added.

The meeting opposed Kalabagh dam and greater Thal canal projects.

It called upon the government to provide jobs to people as unemployed youths were forced to commit suicides.

It condemned lawlessness in the province and demanded that the government should take effective measures to improve the law and order situation.

SRC: The Sindh Regimental Centre has announced that the on-going recruitment in the Pakistan Army will be carried out upto Oct 30 at the Sindh Regimental Centre in Hyderabad.

Candidates having qualification of matric, age between 17-23 with CNIC and the Form "B" of the Sindh would be considered eligible for the recruitment.

All interested candidates have been urged to contact the Sindh Regimental Centre in Hyderabad for recruitment and any further information.

HESCO: The recovery magistrate of the Hesco circle-I, Mr Ibrahim Almani, along with the Hesco staff has conducted raids against the defaulters and power thieves in Qasimabad.

He ordered the arrest of Aqeel, son of Khan Mohammad, and Farooq, son of Wali Dino, against whom an amount of Rs121,068 was outstanding.

He also ordered the arrest of Aijaz against whom an amount of Rs139,629 was outstanding.