LAHORE: The famers have passed a resolution, urging the government to immediately start construction of Kalabagh Dam to provide cheap electricity to growers and to overcome energy crisis in the country.
The growers adopted the resolution at a ‘Kissan Conference’, organised by Pakistan Muttahida Kissan Mahaz (PMKM). They blamed the government for anti-agriculture policies and warned to start a movement against the rulers if farmer friendly policies were not introduced.
PMKM Chief Ayub Mayo said that the rulers had surrendered before India over the issue of violation of Indus Water Treaty. He said that this gathering of growers condemn Indian water aggression against Pakistan and once again launch a movement against it.
Ayub Mayo opposed the setting up of coal fired power plants especially in Sahiwal, Multan, DG Khan and Bahawalpur Divisions who were fertile agricultural areas producing most important cash crops like cotton and sugarcane. He said these were 50 years old plants which would destroy the ecology of this area.
He said that the government should go for construction of hydel power through construction of big dams and claimed that Pakistan had the potential of generating 140,000MW of power and PC-I of projects capable of generating 50,000MW area ready.
Pakistan Kissan Ittehad Chairman Ch Muhammad Anwer said it was irony of the fate that growers could not fix the price of their own produce. He said that in our country peasant is unaware that who is reaping the fruit of his labour.
