SWABI, Oct 2: Growers in the district have decided to agitate against the commerce ministry’s decision to conduct a survey to know the cost of the production of Flue-Cured Virginia (FCV) tobacco.

The decision was made by Kashthkar Coordination Council leaders during a meeting here on Tuesday.

Liaquat Yusufzai chaired the meeting, where participants said there was no need for carrying out a fresh survey for knowing the cost of production of FCV tobacco.

“Crop commissioner Dr Aslam has already done a survey before recommending Rs183.4 per kg as tobacco price, so there is no need for repeating the exercise,” said a participant.

According to KCC president Arif Khan, a commerce ministry team tasked with doing the said survey in coordination with Pakistan Tobacco Board will reach Mansehra today (Wednesday) and tobacco growers from across the district will stage a demonstration on their arrival.

He said protests would be held in other tobacco growing districts, too.

“Previously, we opposed the survey for being harmful to the growers’ interests, and now, too, we fear that surveyors will favour companies so that they could buy crop at throwaway price,” he said.

Meanwhile, residents of Chota Lahor, Adina, Ismaila, Yar Hussain and adjoining areas have complained that they had to cover longer distances to reach destinations after the collapse of the Pehur Canal bridge.

They said the bridge collapse had suspended traffic on Chota Lahor-Yar Hussain Road, forcing them to take longer routes of Swabi-Mardan Road and Swabi-Jahangira Road.

Mohammad Aqil, a local resident, said 6,000 to 8,000 vehicles used the bridge daily before it collapsed two days ago.

He said commuters had to spend more money to reach their destinations after the bridge collapse.

He added that traders had increased prices of goods over higher travel expenses.

People demanded action against the contractor and relevant officials over bridge collapse.

They said the builder of the bridge and the works and services officials, who cleared it for opening to traffic, should be taken to task.

People also said bridge collapse highlighted weaknesses in the process of inspecting work on government-funded projects and therefore, the same should be corrected.

An official of the district administration told Dawn that work on a causeway for those previously using the bridge was near completion.

He said construction of the causeway would ease misery of local residents.