The procurement of subsidised laser land leveller machines for distribution among Sindh's farmers is allegedly being subjected to kickbacks which result in inflating the unit's price.
This was revealed by the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA), a farmers' lobbying group, on Sunday where the agriculture department officials were accused of purchasing the units at higher rates. The government provides the technology, which enhances crop yield, to farmers with around 50% subsidy. "In Punjab, the machines can be bought for around Rs500,000. But the Sindh government is purchasing the same equipment for Rs650,000," said a statement issued after the meeting, held at SCA's Hyderabad office.
The last date for submitting the application along with a deposit of Rs347,000 is March 4. According to the farmers, the provincial government has not clarified how many subsidised units will be distributed. They also demanded higher subsidy on the units, as is the case in Punjab.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 22nd, 2016.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ