Alleged corruption: Three Mukhtiarkars suspended, one quits over seed, fertiliser distribution

Flood-affected growers wait for seed bags which are taken away at night.

SUKKUR: Three mukhtiarkars of Thull taluka have been suspended and transferred while one quit on his own during the month of February on alleged charges of corruption in the distribution of seed and fertiliser among flood-affected growers.

Mukhtiarkar Abdul Malik Khoso was suspended and transferred from Thull. He was replaced by Mushtaq Jatoi, who was also suspended and transferred only a week later. Next, Abu Bakar Sadhayo was posted as Mukhtiarkar Thull but he too met the same fate in just three days and was replaced by Iqbal Ahmed Channa, who quit his job and left.

Revenue EDO Jacobabad Mohammad Sadiq Rajar confirmed that the three mukhtiarkars of Thull were suspended and transferred on alleged charges of corruption. The fourth one quit his charge and left on his own, he added.

According to officials, the Sindh government had provided more than 100,000 bags of wheat seed and more than 87,000 bags of fertiliser to the Jacobabad district administration. Apart from this, thousands of bags of wheat, sunflower and mustard seed, and fertiliser were also provided by various NGOs, including Sindh Rural Support Organisation, Save The Children, Hands and Marvi.

Rajar said that based on the government’s policy, one bag each of seed and fertiliser is allowed per acre. The upper limit is 12 bags so anyone with more than 12 acres cannot have more bags, he explained. That is when the hue and cry begins, he said.

Referring to the possibility that influential landlords are forcing mukhtiarkars to give them more bags, Rajar admitted that “there is something which forced the mukhtiarkars to either give in to their demands or to quit”. The EDO said that the Jacobabad mukhtiarkar Nazir Ahmed, who was also under tremendous pressure for giving undue favours, applied for a long leave and left on Thursday.

Jacobabad DCO Sajjad Jamal Abro could not be reached for comments and his personal assistant Abdul Wahab said that Abro had gone out with a foreign delegation.

Meanwhile, hundreds of growers staged a protest demonstration outside Thull Press Club on Thursday against unfair distribution of seed and fertilizer.

The protesters, Jehangir Banglani, Gul Bahar Dole, Khamiso Kanrani and others, accused the district administration of corruption in the distribution process. Poor and flood-affected growers are being deprived of their rights as truckloads of seed and fertilizer are being taken away by influential persons in the middle of the night, said a protester.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 25^th, 2011.