HYDERABAD: Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) has rejected proposed amendment to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) Act through an ordinance and urged the president and newly-installed federal government to take notice of caretaker government’s “overstepping of its authority in flagrant violation of relevant decision of the Council of Common Interests (CCI).

A meeting of the chamber presided over by its president Miran Mohammad Shah here the other day congratulated President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on assuming their respective offices. It also felicitated Syed Murad Ali Shah for winning a third term as the Sindh Chief Minister.

The meeting termed the ordinance regarding amendment to the Irsa Act ‘unconstitutional and illegal’ and criticised the caretakers’ move as ‘unethical’. It said that the caretaker government clearly overstepped its authority, and added that the SCA, therefore, rejected it.

Discussing the ordinance, the meeting participants noted that under the proposed amendment, the authority to appoint Irsa chairman was delegated to prime minister whereas under the Act in effect post, the chairman’s post was to be rotated among provinces.

The meeting held that a caretaker government did not have the authority to propose amendment to any Act through an ordinance.

“An Act can be amended by an elected parliament, government and the CCI,” it asserted, and explained that such a draft had to be submitted before the CCI and chief ministers, being members of CCI, should give their input on it and then it had to be tabled, if unanimously agreed by CCI, in parliament through a resolution calling for the amendment to the Act.

Giving its view on the amendment proposed by the caretaker government, SCA said it would create mistrust among provinces and weaken the federation. It believed that any such step or decision would place Sindh at most disadvantageous position and, therefore, Sindh Assembly should also reject the draft amendment.

Urea consignment stuck

The meeting discussed import of 200,000 tonnes of urea, and noted with concern that the consignment had been lying stuck in warehouses. Around 52,000 tonnes of urea was to be distributed in Sindh as its share but the release had not begun. It condemned provision of imported urea to different fertiliser companies and black-marketing of the commodity.

“The controlled price of urea is Rs3,652 per bag but Rs6,500 was being charged from buyers,” the SCA deplored, and claimed that “urea dealers’ mafia” had already minted over Rs50bn from growers in Sindh. It asked the Sindh government to bound down urea companies to provide the commodity to growers at controlled rate, and demanded that the latter’s representatives should be inducted in the District Agriculture Advisory Boards for its distribution.

The meeting said SCA should be given representation on the forum that dealt with urea distribution.

Certified seed for cotton

The meeting also pointed out that certified seed, besides urea, for cotton cultivation was not available yet although sowing season in Sindh had already begun. It noted that uncertified seed from Punjab was being sold across Sindh and no seed bag carried stamp of a government department.

It demanded that the companies selling uncertified seed should be penalised. All companies should be bound down to sell the seed that guarantees at least 70pc germination ratio.

Increasing farm input rates

The SCA also expressed its concern over increasing cost of farm input and inadequate prices offered to growers for their produce. It urged the government to ensure that farmers get fair prices. It lamented that mustard crop was being procured for Rs5,500 per 40kg and wheat for Rs3,600 per 40kg in the open market. Sindh government should fix the wheat support price at Rs4,500 per 40kg and set up procurement centres from March 20 to procure wheat from farmers at official price with provision of gunny bags.

The meeting condemned imposition of a ban on export of onion and banana, and stressed that import of commodities, instead, should be banned.

The meeting was attended by Zahid Bhurgari, Nabi Bux Sathio and others.

Published in Dawn, March 13th, 2024