HYDERABAD, Aug 12: The Sindh Abadgar Board on Tuesday appealed to the federal government and the Federal Bureau of Revenue to withdraw levy of 3.5 per cent tax on ginning factories for each 40 kilogramme of cotton (phutti) they purchased from growers.

In a letter addressed to the chairman of FBR, the president of Sindh Abadgar Board, Abdul Majeed Nizamani, said that at present the ginners were deducting Rs60 to Rs70 per 40kg from the cotton they bought from growers on one or the other pretext. This additional levy of 3.5 per cent on 40kg cotton would ruin the growers, he said.

He said that for the time being the FBR had held up tax collection due to hue and cry from the growers, which had created confusion. Cotton picking was in full swing but the government had thus far neither withdrawn the tax nor made clear the rate of deduction, he said.

He feared the deduction by the ginners would be passed on to growers, which would be tantamount to last straw on the camel’s back as the growers were already groaning under the unbearable burden of continued surge in fuel prices, fertilisers and pesticides.

SPECIAL FLIGHTS: PIA would fly special flights between Karachi and Sehwan on Aug 21, 22 and 23 to facilitate devotees during the three day Urs of Hazrat Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, said PPP MNA Nawab Abdul Ghani Talpur in a statement on Tuesday.

He said that he had persuaded the federal minister of defense and the PIA authorities that thousands of devotees from abroad were likely to attend the Urs celebrations and they always faced inconvenience on Super Highway and Indus Highway in their journey to Sehwan.

He said that the authorities, on his recommendation, had agreed to start special flights during the three day Urs from Karachi to Sehwan.