Tobacco growers want Baffa-Pakhal declared calamity-hit

MANSEHRA: The tobacco growers on Wednesday asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to declare Baffa-Pakhal calamity-hit.

“Our standing crops particularly tobacco were damaged by the recent rains and hailstorms, therefore, the government should waive our agriculture loans by declaring Baffa-Pakhal calamity-hit,” Saifur Rahman, president of the Tobacco Growers Association told protesters who had gathered outside the press club here. Carrying banners and placards, the protesters said they would extend the protest to other parts of province if their demands were not met. Rahman said that government collected over Rs200 billion from tobacco industry every year and if they were not compensated at this critical time the revenue collection would be affected. “The government should write off our loans that we borrowed to buy seeds and pesticides,” he said. The protesters who were led by former district councillor Shahid Rafique also met with Deputy Commissioner Aurangzeb Haider and sought his support in declaring Baffa-Pakhal as a calamity hit tehsil.