RAHIM YAR KHAN: Scores of women from urban and rural areas on Wednesday gathered outside the District Press Club to protest against alleged irregularities in the Benazir Income Support Program (BISP).

The protesters including Adhoo Mai, Safia Bibi, Mai Rahki, Gulzaran Mai and Sakeena Bilgees told reporters that the previous system of payments through post offices was much better than the one being used now.

They alleged that the biometric system was in vogue but they wereforced to buy two SIMs.

They said the women of rural areas such as Mauza Thalwari, Chah Alam and Gharib Shah were asked to visit the mobile phone franchise repeatedly where they were paid Rs5,000 instead of Rs20,000 after a few months.

The protesters said their schoolgoing children were deprived of supporting amount due to wrong survey by an NGO whereas there are cases in which the children of well-off people were beneficiary of this amount.

BISP Rahim Yar Khan incharge Athar Hussain told Dawn that the fundamental programme Monthly Cash Support had been widely appreciated for helping the people and in combating poverty.

The Biometric Verification System (BVS) had made the process more transparent, he saidwhile alleging that people with vested interest wanted the previous system resumption.

GROWERS` CONCERNS: The Kissan Action Committee, Rahim Yar Khan, announced at a press conference on Wednesday that the growers would launch protest against the mills.

The Kissan Board Pakistan, Kissan Ittehad Pakistan, Agri Fourm Pakistan, Anjuman Kashtkaraan Pakistan and Progressive Farmers Association have formed a committee which will fight for the rights of the farmers.

Riaz Ahmed Cheema, Jamil Nasir, Chaudhry Yasin, Ahmed Sattar and Ahmed Ali Akhtar claimed that the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association had released an advertisement in which it recommended the government to fix the sugarcane rate Rs120 per maund (40kg).The farmers strongly criticised the PSMA for such a move and demanded that the government fix the support price of sugarcane at Rs250, cotton at Rs4,000 and rice at Rs2,500 per maund.

They also demanded termination of contracts of agriculture trade with India. They said the farmers of the district cultivated 25pc more sugarcane due to establishment of three new sugar mills which are now closed on court orders.

The government should make arrangements for the proper procurement of the additional crop, they demanded.

They said that in Muzaffargarh the quota of irrigation water was 9.5 cusec per acre but in Rahim Yar Khan it is 4.2 cusec which is discriminatory. They said if their demands were not met, they would start a countrywide protest.