MULTAN: The powerloom workers on Monday observed a hunger strike and staged a demonstration against increase in the prices of yarn.
Dozens of powerloom workers blocked Manzoorabad Chowk leading to city roads and connecting the entire city and chanted slogans against the government for raising the prices of yarn. The protest was organised under the auspices of the All Pakistan Powerlooms Association The protestors also set up a hunger strike camp and dozens of workers participated in the camp. Speaking on the occasion, APPA president Khaliq Qandil Sindhu said that Rs 15,000 had been increased in the yarn bundle, which had closed doors of business. The electricity tariff and yarn prices had reached beyond the limits of buyers, he lamented. If the government does not address the issue immediately, it was feared that at least 25,000 workers would lose their jobs in Multan, he added.
Khaliq said that the government’s lack of interest in increasing cotton production had upset the exporters of the local value added textile sector. He said that the present situation demands that the government should allow the import of cotton yarn with 32 single and less counts at zero rate duty. The country was unable to compete in the market because of the rate at which we were getting yarn, he added.
growers reject wheat support price: The growers have rejected Punjab wheat support price at Rs 1,800 per 40kg and demanded minimum Rs 2,000 per 40kg as fixed by the Sindh government.
Talking to The News here, Pakistan Kisan Ittehad chairman Chaudhry Muhammad Anwar said that the Punjab wheat support prices could hardly meet per acre expenses after skyrocketing hike in fertiliser prices. He told that the wheat growers in the South Punjab were set to organise protests against the wheat support price in the province.
He said that the wheat growers’ organisations had planned aggressive protests in the coming days across Punjab. He said that the executive committee meeting had also convened to finalise the protest strategy against the Punjab wheat support price on March 3.
Ch Anwar said that an average wheat production of per acre was 30 to 35 maunds, however, hot weather may further reduce the production. He said if the present support price of Rs 1,800 per maund then growers would have to earn only Rs 18,000 per acre keeping in view of hike in the prices of inputs.
He feared that the Punjab support price would invite smuggling of wheat to Sindh or Afghanistan due to poor policies designed against the interests of growers. The prices of diesel and electricity tariff were the same in Punjab and Sindh but the Punjab government had announced Rs 200 less than Sindh, he told.