HYDERABAD, May 6: The Sindh Abadgar Board on Saturday rejected the government claim that Pakistan had suffered huge losses of Rs66 billion since 2004 for not increasing the price of oil commensurate with prices of the international market.

A meeting of the board was held here on Saturday which discussed the situation arising out of the increase in the price of oil and its impact on the agriculture sector.

Abdul Majeed Nizamani presided over the meeting.

The meeting said that the government was earning 40 per cent on account of petroleum development levy (PDL), sales tax, excise duty and inland trade equalisation margin.

It said that the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority had become only a “Munshi” of the petroleum ministry.

It said that it was totally subservient to oil companies association’s cartel.

The meeting said that the cartel was maintaining a stranglehold to the extent of 70 per cent right from oil refineries to petrol pumps.

It said that oil was the basic input of the agrarian economy and that OGRA was as helpless in this matter as the NAB was before the sugar industry.

The meeting called upon the president and prime minister, provincial governments, provincial and national assemblies and the Senate to keep in mind that five million barrels of diesel was spent on preparing land for crops in the country.

The meeting said that four million barrel oil was also spent on lift pumps and diesel machines for irrigating land.

It said that, of 2,260 million dollars, being spent on sea-borne trade, the agriculture sector was suffering a burden of 83 per cent.

It said that the agriculture sector was facing a burden of 88 per cent expenditure of inland communication.

The meeting said that under the head of equalisation, Rs19 billion were being paid to oil companies at the rate of Rs5 per litre.

It said that according to a World Bank report only 25 paisas per litre should be paid to oil companies.

It said that in order to save the agricultural economy of the country, the price of oil should be immediately reduced by 40 per cent.

It said that 75 per cent of transportation of agricultural produce should be made through rail and the transportation of oil which was being extracted in Badin district should be done through rail and not through NLC trailers.

It said that railway connection was available right from the oil fields to the refinery.

The meeting demanded that in order to compete with other countries under the WTO regime, the agriculture sector should be given subsidy which was available in those countries.

It expressed concern over the acute water shortage in Sindh in flagrant violation of the water accord and due to excesses of the big province.

It complained that while Sindh was crying hoarse for water, it was being released in Taunsa.

It called for declaring an emergency for supply of water to the Kotri barrage with a view to ensuring water supply up to tail-end within three days to save human beings and livestock.

It demanded that wherever underground sweet water was available, applications should be collected on the spot and tube-wells should be installed within eight days.

It said that the entire irrigation system should be overhauled within three years.

It demanded that the discharge of poisonous effluent of factories in drains should be stopped to save lives of human beings and the livestock.

It called for complete implementation of the Sindh Irrigation Act to stop water theft and encroachments on regulators and channels which should be made motorable.

It complained of injustices with wheat growers and said that the traders were fleecing them.

It said that due to corruption and inefficiency of the food department, the procurement of wheat was always delayed and non-availability of gunnybags had become a scandal.

It said that the board had informed the government in February that wheat procurement should be started in March but till date, grievances of wheat growers about non-supply of gunnybags, had not been redressed.

It demanded that the Sindh government should order an immediate inquiry as to why gunnybags were given to traders which was exclusive right of wheat growers and why procurement was not started in March.

It wondered why complaints of growers of Ghotki, Khairpur, Larkana, Shikarpur and Dadu about the non-supply of gunnybags had not been addressed.