OKARA, Jan 13: Potato growers and vegetable market commission agents held a demonstration on Tuesday over very low rates of the commodity. No business was conducted in the market throughout the day.

They said like previous year, the rate of a 105-kilogram potato bag ranged between Rs200 and Rs270 whereas the cost of input had risen sharply. Moreover, the use of substandard pesticides also raised cost, they said.

They claimed that at present about 12,000 potato bags were arriving in the market from fields daily. The number would increase to 25,000 in the third week of January, they added.

Later, growers representatives Rao Ikram Ali and fruit and vegetable market office-bearers Chaudhry Ashraf and Chaudhry Liaquat met the DCO and EDO (revenue) and demanded that the government should take immediate notice of the bad situation and manage export of the crop.

DONKEY CARTS: Hundreds of donkey cart owners took out a protest procession against the Tehsil Municipal Administration which has decided to impose Rs300 fine for overloading.

They gathered outside district courts complex here to protest against the decision. The district government high-ups assured them of a sympathetic consideration of their demand.

CADET COLLEGE: Defence Minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal has stated that Rs700 million will be spent on establishing a cadet college as the president has given approval of the project.

He was speaking at the annual dinner of the District Bar Association at the Quaid-i-Azam Hall on Monday. Mr Iqbal said Rs100 million for city sewerage scheme have been allocated by the prime minister and chief minister - Rs50 million each. Earlier, he inaugurated the newly constructed DBA cafeteria completed at a cost of Rs1 million.

SUICIDE: A man allegedly committed suicide on Tuesday over a domestic issue. Aslam, a father of an infant, had a quarrel with his family. He went to fields and took poison. He died before getting any medical aid. Mandi Ahmad police are investigating.