Ameer Abbass Khan and others, District Mianwali

LETTER: It is to draw your attention to the issue of pending payments of oil seed/DAP subsidies promised by the government in the previous year. We are farming canola and wheat in District Mianwali (the same place from where Imran Khan got elected). Last year, the government promised to pay subsidy to farmers who will grow canola on their farming lands (Rs5,000 per bag). After this announcement, farmers, in order to avail the benefit of the offer, bought oil seeds on a higher rate. The oil seed bag which was earlier selling at Rs 3,000 after the announcement of the subsidy was sold at Rs5,500 per bag for hybrid seeds. Farmers got themselves registered through the mechanism of sending their CNIC numbers and their phone numbers. Initially Rs. 1,000 per bag had to be paid to farmers on registration, but the only Rs.900 was paid. Upon complaint lodged through the phone numbers given by the Punjab Agriculture Department we were told that we will be paid later in April. They did not pay any subsidy till date. Now, nobody listens to our complaints and it's not just us but the whole district. The oil seed companies sold ordinary seeds and charged the price of hybrid seeds, but no one has been held accountable. If this is to continue, will our agriculture sector survive? The government bought our wheat at an artificially low price of Rs1,400 per bag (they didn't allow the market forces to work when it was our turn). On top of it the weather conditions took everything away from us. Not a single rupee has reached farmers and the government has announced new subsidies, we ask for whom? Where did all that money go? The PM's portal doesn't even respond. Why make false promises just to befool farmers to buy expensive seeds and fertilizers?

AMEER ABBASS KHAN AND OTHERS, DISTRICT MIANWALI

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020