Addressing a joint press conference with a delegation of Pakistan Kisan Ittehad here at the PML House, Shujat said that tubewells should be provided free-of-cost electricity connections to facilitate the small farmers.

 

All those farmers which possess not more than 12 acres of land should be provided free electricity connections as is the practice in India. This would help the farmers boost their per-acre quantity of crops, he added.

 

He assured to take up the matter with the prime minister to get it resolved.

 

PML-Q secretary-general Mushahid Hussain Sayed, President Kisan Ittehad Ch. Mohammad Anwar, senior politician Mohammad Shah Khagga, President PML Women's Wing Farrukh Khan, PML Secretary Finance Imtiaz Ranjha, and Deputy Secretary Information Ghulam Mustafa Malik were also present. Ch Shujat said that the small farmers should also be facilitated in provision of urea and seeds on subsidized rates.

 

He said elections would be held on time and there was no truth in reports of delay of elections.

 

Mushahid Hussain Sayed said that the PML government had always took steps for supporting the agriculture sector and it would also use all available forums to delivery of rights of the farming community. He also condemned the militant attacks on polio teams and said that all political parties had signed a joint declaration today to condemn such a act against humanity.

 

Ch. Anwar requested Ch Shujat to arrange their meeting with Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf so as they could brief the premier on the difficulties being faced by the farming community.

 

He said that the farmers delegation had briefed the PML-Q leadership about the problems being faced by the farmers and if provided relief, they could increase crops yield in no time. We have agrarian society but the farmers are facing worst situation.

 

We don't have resources to pay for expensive water through high tariff tubewells, expensive urea and even the pesticides are contaminated, he added.

 

Earlier, the Kisan delegation held a detailed meeting with PML-Q President Ch Shujat Hussain and Mushahid Hussain Sayed and briefed them on their problems.

 

The PML leaders assured the delegation that they would leave no stone unturned resolve their issues.

 

Copyright APP (Associated Press of Pakistan), 2012
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