HYDERABAD, April 26 The Sindh Chambers of Agriculture demanded on Sunday an oil refinery, as announced by Benazir Bhutto, in Tando Alam to treat the huge oil reserves discovered in the area.

The agriculture body at a meeting also demanded that the rate of sugarcane for next season should be announced at Rs125 per 40kg and the ban imposed on agricultural implements be lifted.

Expressing concern over an acute shortage of irrigation water in Sindh, the meeting demanded provincial share of water directly from Giddu barrage.

It was due to the shortage of water that the agriculture sector of the province was being destroyed, it said.

The meeting urged the federal government to resolve the water issue without any delay and ensure that Sindh was getting its legal share.

Mir Murad Ali Talpur, presiding over the meeting, said the forests of Sindh were being destroyed and even trees were being cut on the banks of canals and waterways which had negatively affected the environment and climate.

He urged the Sindh government to launch a tree plantation campaign not only on the banks of waterways, but also in the katcha area.

Chamber general secretary Akhund Ghulam Mohammad Siddiqui complained that the food department had not started procurement of wheat in upper Sindh. Thousands of maunds of wheat was lying with growers who were waiting for the food department to purchase the commodity.

He requested the Sindh chief minister to direct the officials concerned to provide bardana (gunny bags) to growers and purchase wheat from them without any delay.

The meeting urged the government to announce its clear cut policy immediately about the future paddy crop.

People atteniding the meeting included Anwar Bachani, Agha Nasrullah, Mir Imdad Talpur, Dr Shahnawaz Shah and Sain Bux Rind.