The Farmers Associates Pakistan (FAP) has said that ban imposed on movement of wheat by the Punjab government has deprived wheat growers of the province to the tune of Rs 80 billion on account of difference between support and market prices of the commodity.
Mohammad Idrees, spokesperson/chief co-ordinator of FAP said that a meeting of Central Executive Committee was held here on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The meeting reviewed the Punjab budget 2004-05 and observed that flat rate abyana system has increased 30 percent additional cost on irrigation service charges contrary to governments repeated claims that it will provide relief to the small farmers. Abyana is being charged on commanded area instead of cultivated area.
The meeting maintained that Punjab government has not enhanced the exemption slab for the purposes of agri income tax unlike the facility given by the Federal government to non-agri taxpayers in the recent budget. Among others, the meeting was attended by Malik Afaq from Khushab, Brigadier Mirza Abdul Rasheed Beg, Okara, Bilal Israel Khan, Rahim Yar Khan, Safdar Ali Khan Sial, Jhang, Dr Mumtaz Warriach Malik and M. Ali Khokhar, Multan, Malik M. Tariq Bucha, Lahore, Dr Afzaal Rizvi, Okara, Chaudhry Hamid, Narowal and Farooq Bajwa Advocate from Khanewal.