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FAISALABAD, March 24: The Farmers Association Faisalabad has urged the government to direct the Agricultural Development Bank of Pakistan to reduce mark-up on loans from 14 per cent to 10 per cent.
In a statement here on Sunday, FAF president Tahir Saeed said growers had been facing problems due to high prices of fertilizers and other farm inputs. The acute shortage of irrigation water had also aggravated the situation, he said.
He said if the government failed to announce a package of incentives for farmers, they would have left with no option but to stop cultivating cash crops.
He urged the Punjab government to streamline the working of market committees for providing basic amenities to growers. He further demanded that market committee functionaries should be directed to evolve farmers-friendly policies so that they could fetch a reasonable price for their produce.
The FAF leader said growers had been facing problems in selling their produce, including wheat, rice, sugar cane and cotton, because the “commission mafia” had been exploiting them with impunity.
He said in case the existing marketing system of farm produce was not replaced with the new one, the farming community would adopt some other measures to earn their livelihood.
He demanded President Musharraf to invite leaders of the farming community and hold parlays with them so that they could present their problems.
PEACE BODIES: The Punjab government is contemplating to replace all the members and chairmen of peace committees after Muharram to make these bodies more active and practical.
A source told Dawn here on Sunday that the Home Department had received a number of complaints that members of some peace committees set up at tehsil and district level were involved in anti-social activities or had links with banned militant groups. Taking cognizance of complaints, the government decided that righteous religious scholars, office-bearers of religious parties, representatives of media and trade would be appointed as members of new peace committees, he said.
The source said a list of such people had already been sent to secret agencies for the verification of their character, whereabouts, lifestyle, links and background. The people belonging to all sects would be nominated as members of these committees.
He said religious scholars having good influence among the people of their sect or group would be preferred against old members of the committees. The administrators of deeni madaris and mosques would also be adjusted in these committees.
The source further said the governor, taking notice of reports about the formation of new groups and bodies by leaders and workers of banned militant groups, had directed the district police chiefs to send a report in this regard.
ARMY DEPLOYED: Army has been deployed along the routes of Zuljinnah processions and at the venues of Majalis to avoid any untoward incident on Ashura.
Patrolling by police has also been intensified in commercial and residential areas.
SEMINAR: The University of Agriculture will organize a seminar on “Effects on agriculture of agreements of Pakistan with the World Trade Organization” here on Wednesday.
The adviser to president, Shafi Niaz, will preside over the seminar while research scholars from various institutions will read out their papers.
ARRESTED: Police arrested more than nine persons for violating the pillion-riding ban from various parts of the district on Sunday.
