Urea crisis hits wheat crop
GUJRANWALA, Jan 30: Up to 200,800 acres of wheat crops in Wazirabad may collapse due to the non-availability of urea. Wheat growers need around 200,000 urea bags urgently for their crops but only 30,000 urea bags have been provided to them. They deposited Rs900,000 to urea manufacturing company accounts in Lahore some 10 days ago but the commodity has yet to reach them. The agriculture department stopped the sale of urea from utility stores and dealer’s shop from Jan 14 and urea was being supplied to farmers from NFC depot in Aimanabad. The commissioner fixed a quota of urea for wheat growers for each tehsil and town and 800 bags were to be supplied to Wazirabad farmers. The farmers said at least 5,000 bags were needed in the tehsil every day.
Also, Agriculture Deputy Director Iftikhar Ahmad Warraich set up one centre each at Ghakkhar town, Wazirabad, Alipur Chattha and Verpal Chttha to provide urea to farmers. Now, 8,000 urea bags were being distributed in farmers from Gujranwala utility stores every day. Wheat growers said 40 per cent to 50 per cent urea manure was very important for crops till Feb 15.
GOODS SEIZE: Aroop police claimed on Friday to seize two truckload house goods from an assistant sub-inspector (ASI) and a union council nazim who were arrested in the district court a few days ago.
Six people, the relatives of accused ASI Arshad and Lohianwala union council nazim Shahid Zafar, were shot dead by their rivals when they were sitting at their outhouse in Lohianwala one year ago. The victim’s family got registered a murder case against Iqbal and his brothers who fled to avoid arrest. Accused ASI and his relatives looted 30 houses of their rivals in their absence. Station House Officer (SHO) Samiullah Khan said the remaining goods would be recovered soon.