HYDERABAD, Feb 6: The Sindh Abadgar Board has urged the provincial government to repair and strengthen the dykes of river Indus and canals on war footing.

At a meeting held here on Saturday, the board expressed grave concern over inordinate delay in rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructure, increase in taxes and prices of agricultural inputs and deteriorating law and order in Sindh.

It observed that the floods had destroyed the irrigation infrastructure, but the government had done nothing so far to repair the embankments.

The meeting, presided over by Abdul Majeed Nizamani, pointed out that although repair works were undertaken by the federal government through the flood commission, maintenance of dykes remained the responsibility of the the provincial government.

It called upon the Sindh government to continue the work of repairing and strengthening the embankments and appoint an independent committee comprising representatives of growers' associations to monitor it.

It said the federal government should be aware that the flood water of all provinces eventually entered Sindh and if the dykes were not repaired the losses during the current year would be much more than before.

It asked the irrigation department to remove all encroachments in the system within a year.

The meeting strongly protested against imposition of 3.5 per cent withholding tax on agricultural machinery and said that as in the past, industrialists and commission agents would pass this tax on to growers.

The meeting said that growers were already facing inordinate increase in prices of fertilizer, pesticides, oil, electricity and agricultural equipment.

It demanded withdrawal of the withholding tax and reduction in the number of ministers and advisers by 60 per cent. It also called for reduction of non-development budget.

Referring to the deteriorating law and order in the province, the meeting observed that murders, robberies and kidnappings for ransom had become a routine matter.

The government has failed to curb lawlessness and it should stop collecting taxes till it restores peace and security.

It said all criminals should be treated according to the law and VIP culture should be eliminated.

The meeting pointed out that in 2008-09, the government had taken the right step by increasing the support price of wheat from Rs650 to Rs950 per maund.

This year it should raise it to Rs1,250 per 40 kg and the purchase limit should be increased to 2 million tons, it added.

It also appealed to the Supreme Court to decide growers' quality premium case amounting to Rs12 billion for which a stay order had been issued eight years ago. It said the cane commissioner should be empowered to ensure payment to the sugarcane growers.

SCA: President of Badin chapter of the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture Mohammad Khan Sarejo has demanded an agricultural package for the district because the government had declared Badin district as calamity-affected district on 16 occasions.

He said in a statement that the growers of Badin and Thatta districts should be exempted from repaying loans of Rs500,000 and more.

He said that because of devastations caused by cyclone, floods and drought, it was impossible for the growers of Badin and Thatta to survive without an agricultural package.