*PPP leader says his party is a pro-farmers party; criticises govt for reduction in textile exports despite GSP concessions by EU
Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto has reiterated that the PPP will continue its pro-farmers policy when in power, said PPP Punjab President Manzoor Wattoo in a statement issued on Sunday. He pointed out that the chairman in his speech said that he would increase the support price of sugarcane, wheat, seed cotton (phutti) and rice up to 20% and the increase would not be passed on to the consumers as the government would subsidise the commodities proportionately.
He said that the farmers were particularly excited about the declaration of supply of solar tube wells to the farmers free of cost as this would boost the agriculture produce in the country and the agro-based industries alike phenomenally.
The net result will be massive job opportunities in the rural areas that would reduce the burden on the urban infrastructure as the people would find job closer to their homes, he added.
The PPP leader recalled that the previous PPP government doubled the support price of the wheat in 2008 that led to the country to attain the status of a wheat exporting country rather than a wheat importing country.
He declared the policies of the present government as anti-farmers, adding that the agriculture produce was on the decline and the farmers community had been protesting against the step-motherly treatment of the provincial government, in particular.
He said how unfortunate that the textile exports were on the decline despite the European Union’s tariff concessions under GSP plus. The government is solely responsible for this huge loss that run into billions of dollars.
Wattoo appreciated the declaration of “Jihad” by Chairman Bilawal Bhutto against the anti-democratic forces, terrorism, poverty , unemployment, illiteracy and work for the empowerment of the less privileged segment of the society like labour, farmers, harris, minorities, women, students, youth and the workers who were engaged in earning their livelihood in private industries.
He welcomed the announcement of the chairman to go for merit and merit alone. His direction to the Sindh government to advertise all notices and vacancies online would ensure transparency in the governance and the culture of recommendation would become the thing of the past, he hoped.
He underscored the importance of improving the law and order situation in the province where heinous crimes like kidnapping for ransom had become a normal than exception. The observation of the chairman regarding the surge in crime in Punjab should energise the government of Punjab to contain the scourge that had made the lives of the people miserable due to acute sense of insecurity.
