BY Bureau Report
HYDERABAD, March 7: The Sindh Abadgar Board has demanded that the ban on movement of wheat from one taluka to the other should be lifted without delay. At a meeting held here on Saturday, the SAB condemned the promulgation of section 144, CrPC, restricting the movement of wheat.

The meeting observed that it was the right of growers to sell their produce at competitive prices and the government could not deprive them of this right. It expressed apprehension that due to restriction on wheat movement from one taluka to the other, wheat would be purchased at cheap rates and then sold at exorbitant rates in other districts and provinces.

It demanded that action should be taken against hoarders who had purchased wheat last year at Rs280 to Rs300 per maund and were selling the same now at Rs475 per maund.

The SAB supported government's decision to purchase sugar but demanded that rights of growers should be protected. It reminded the government that a huge amount of growers in the shape of quality premium of 2003-2003 was outstanding against sugar mills.

It complained that illegal deductions were being made by mill owners on sugarcane, growers were being blackmailed on the pretext of different sugarcane varieties and the produce was being purchased through middlemen instead of issuing direct indents to growers.

The meeting pointed out that while the support price of sugarcane had been reduced by 30 per cent over the years, prices of agricultural inputs had been increased by 50 per cent. It observed that this would badly affect the agricultural economy.

It demanded that the Sugarcane Act and other decisions of the government should be implemented and sugar mills should be directed to clear dues of growers.

The SAB also took strong exception to government policies in respect of cultivation of sunflower. It pointed out that growers had cultivated sunflower on a large scale due to shortage of water and indifferent attitude of sugar mill owners.

However, it said the government had failed to provide the required quantity of hybrid seed as well as fair return to growers for their produce. The meeting also deplored the attitude of multinational companies in this regard and said growers were forced to purchase the seed from dealers at Rs1,000 per kilogramme against company price of Rs350 per kg.

The DAWN