JACOBABAD, Nov 18: Sindh Agriculture Secretary Nazar Mohammad Mahar has suspended secretaries of Shikarpur and Jacobabad market committees for extorting naka tax. Talking to newsmen here on Thursday, Mr Mahar expressed dissatisfaction over performance of the district agriculture department, particularly delay in the lining of watercourses.

He ordered the lining of 70 watercourses and warned that officials concerned would be removed if the lining was not completed on time.

He said that the cases would be registered under relevant laws against the traders of spurious pesticides. He said that 25 officials had been removed so far from the services for not achieving targets.

Mr Mahar presided over a meeting of officials of the agriculture department and farmers at the district council hall.

He said that when work of lining of watercourses was started it should be completed within two months.

Mr Mahar said that the federal government should allow agricultural officials to conduct raids on shops for spurious pesticides under the supervision of Rangers.

He directed field assistants and agriculture officials to sit in the union council office and give suggestion to nazim for improving agriculture. About the budget, he said that all details of expenses from the provincial secretary to the district level were available on website of the agriculture department.

Sindh Additional Secretary Mohkamuddin Qadri, director of the water management, Mr Imtiaz Ansari, and the director general of the agriculture, Mr Naeem Qureshi, were present on the occasion.

PROTEST: The district chapter of the Pakistan Paramedical Staff Association took out a procession here on Thursday in protest against the EDO health.

The procession started from the Jacobabad civil hospital and reached the press club.

Office-bearers of the association accused the EDO health of using government vehicles for personal purposes.