VEHARI, Sept 13: The district’s cotton growers have demanded exemption from water cess for the areas where, according to them, the crop has been badly affected by virus and pest attack.

Various growers’ representatives, including Tufail Warraich, Asad Alam Khichi, Rao Abdul Rehman, Maqbool Khan Khichi, Haji Nawaz Widhan, Rao Tasawer Ali, Jawed Shah, and others told Dawn here the other day that over 80 per cent of the cotton crop in Mailsi and Vehari tehsils, including Jallajeem, Karampur, Machiwal, Pipli, Thingi Colony, and Pakhi More areas had been hit by the attack.

They urged the Punjab government to waive water cess in these areas, accepting their demand, which was also made through a resolution recently passed by the district council.

They deplored that no step had so far been announced to provide relief to the growers in affected areas.

On the other hand, Deputy District Officer (agriculture) Safdar Ali claimed that despite a massive virus and pest attack in these areas, the crop damage was not more than 25 to 50 per cent.

He added that the pest attack aggravated because the growers were supplied spurious pesticides to counter it.

He said the department had initiated a campaign against manufacturers and suppliers of such pesticides.

INQUIRIES: The local anti-corruption circle completed 185 inquiries, during the last eight months.

This was stated by ACE Multan region additional director Dilawar Abbas while talking to journalists here on Wednesday.

He said during the period, 32 cases were registered, Rs860,000, recovered from the criminals, and seven raids were conducted in which 10 accused were arrested, including three district officers of different departments.

ACE also took legal action against 55 people for filing false complaints.