Farmers announce protest outside Punjab Assembly

LAHORE: Farmers, under the banner of Pakistan Kissan Ittehad, have announced to protest against the high cost of electricity and fertilisers outside Punjab Assembly, ARY News reported on Monday.

According to details, the farmers – led by Pakistan Kissan Ittehad – have announced to protest outside Punjab assembly on December 20.

In a statement, Kissan Ittehad Chairman Khalid Hussain criticized the government over ‘injustices’ against farmers, saying that the farmers were being exploited and they cannot remain silent anymore.

Khalid Hussain noted that high rates of electricity, billing for tubewell and increase in diesel and fertiliser prices had hiked the cost of production for farmers. He said such steps were discouraging for the stakeholders of the agriculture sector.

The Chairman noted that farmers were being charged Rs57 per unit for electricity, demanding that sugarcane price should be Rs370 per maund while illegal deductions should be stopped.

He added that the farmers were losing billions of rupees due to fake seeds in the market, urging the government to formulate farmer-friendly policies to motivate the already stressed agriculturalists.

A day earlier, the Punjab cabinet recorded a protest against the federal government for not signing the Greater Thal Canal (GTC) agreement with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) before the expiry of the deadline.

The Punjab government blamed the Centre for failing to secure loan for the next phase of the Greater Thal Canal (GTC) project before the deadline, hence the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has declined to extend the loan signing time.

Addressing the cabinet, Pervaiz Elahi bashed the federal government for its incompetence, which is costing the country one billion dollars in lost foreign exchange. The federal government demonstrated enmity toward the nation, Punjab, and economically destroying farmers.

“If there was an agreement on the Greater Thal Canal, the farmers would have received water, Pakistan would have been self-sufficient in wheat, and one billion dollars can be saved by not importing the wheat, adding to this, the Punjab government will go to the last extent for its right.” CM Punjab Pervaiz Ilahi stated, while slamming PM Shehbaz Sharif.