HYDERABAD: Divisional Commissioner Mohammad Abbas Baloch has said that the two-day Hyderabad Mango Festival-2019 would be held on June 29 and 30 at Expo Centre in order to make it an annual feature like Mirpurkhas’s mango festival.

Briefing journalists on the festival at Shahbaz Hall on Tuesday, he said 30 different varieties of mangoes would be exhibited there. Hyderabad was blessed with moderate weather conditions geographically and it was rich in agriculture productivity while simultaneously having a large vegetable and fruit market, he added.

He said Hyderabad’s mangoes were liked across the world and purpose of holding this festival was to invite attention of foreign investors towards the fruit. It might help resolve problems of growers, he said, adding that other seasonal fruits would also be displayed besides mangoes.

He said the civil administration would try its level best to hold this festival every year in mango season. He added that this would benefit growers and local fruit market. He maintained the Sindh government’s Board of Investment was collaborating with the civil administration which was providing logistical support. He said mangoes from Tando Mohammad Khan, Matiari, Tando Allahyar and other parts of Hyderabad division would be displayed.

A seminar would also be held on the sidelines of the festival to highlight growers’ problems, he said, pointing out that a concert was also part of the festival.

About locusts’ attack, the commissioner said Jamshoro district had been completely cleared of locusts and over 70 per cent areas of Matiari district were now cleared of the pests. He said that now insects were moving towards Shikarpur and Sanghar. He said teams were formed at the taluka and district levels to monitor locusts and control rooms had been set up for the purpose.

Sindh Enterprise Development Fund managing director Mehboobul Haq told journalists that the festival would begin at 11am on June 29 and over 30 stalls would be established by growers. He said that various varieties, including modified ones, would be displayed.

Later, the commissioner chaired a meeting of officers and representatives of growers’ bodies to finalise arrangements for the festival. The meeting decided to ensure uninterrupted supply of electricity to the event. It said that proper sanitation and close coordination should be ensured among the stakeholders.

Traders want amnesty scheme date extended

Hyderabad Chamber of Small Traders and Small Industry president Mohammad Farooq Shaikhani has urged the federal government to extend the deadline of the amnesty scheme to Sept 30.

In a statement issued here Tuesday, he said that the relief could lead to fruitful results of the scheme. He said that Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) should encourage taxpayers and people, instead of harassing them so that they could benefit from the offer.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2019