Farmers organised "Begging Bowls" rallies across the Punjab province

MULTAN, Mov 20th: Thousands of farmer organised  "Begging bowl" rallies and set their electricity bills on fire across the punjab province. Sugarcane weilding farmers shouted  anti Government slogans and vowed not to pay inflated power bills. Earlier addressing a Press Conference in Multan press Club Central President of Pakistan Kisan Ittehad  Khalid Mehmood Khokhar,Mian Asis Arain, Rana Shamshad Ahmed, Nasrullah, Rana Muhammad Amin and Mian Baseer-ur-rehman said that Support price of cotton be fixed at Rs.5000,Wheat Rs.1500/-,Sugarcane Rs.250 and previous tariff of electricity for agriculture, rates of HSC, DAP, Urea and other farm inputs be restored. They informed that our wheat, maize, cotton and rice production has declined by 45 percent which cause financial loss of 8 to 10 billar dollars. They told that Government had excluded the cash crop of cotton from emergency programme, No relief package was given to farming community.Khalid Mehmood Khokhar disclosed that IMF was main hurdle in the way of subsidies and concessions to farmers.He said that farmers are ready to sell their wheat crop at Rs.1000/40 kg, Cotton at Rs.3000 and sugar cane at Rs.150 if Government ensure supply of atta (Flour)at Rs.1200/40, Sugar at Rs.45/kg,.

He reiterated his demand to implement on the recommendations of National Defence Committee about agriculture sector, and proposals & recommendations of  a parliamentary committee headed by the NA speaker.He further said that a resolution adopted by the lower house after the speech of Syed Fakhar Imam Chairman Kashmir Committee  must be implemented to save the agriculture sector from being ruined.He demanded immediate removal of Punjab agriculture Minister who had descroyed the farming sector due to his negligence and ill-conceived policies..He also demanded  a severe action against Chief Secretary Punjab Yousaf Nasim Khokhar. PKI chief said that farmers can't afford loss of Rs.40,000 to 50,000  per acre on each crop. What a pity that Indian cotton production had increased to 30 millions bales from 12 million and our production declined from 15 million to 8 million bales of cotton. Before concluding of their rally they presented their children for sale because they are unable to repay loans and to meet their domestic expenditures.