KARACHI:
The Sindh Agriculture Research Council (SARC), representing small farmers and peasants, has welcomed initiatives taken by the Sindh Government under Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah. However, it has also raised urgent concerns regarding the challenges faced by small growers, calling for immediate government intervention, according to a press statement released on Saturday.
SARC stressed the need for subsidies on solar tube wells and agricultural tools for small growers holding 10-25 acres of land. The statement highlighted that these farmers are often excluded from such benefits due to favouritism, political affiliations, or lack of access to agricultural officials.
While appreciating the government’s initiative of issuing Kissan Cards to farmers, SARC expressed serious concern over the lack of a proper farmer census. Without accurate data, it warned, identifying beneficiaries for the Kissan Card would be problematic. SARC urged the Sindh government to address this issue, citing a landmark Sindh High Court judgment in PLD 202 Sindh 284 (Ghulam Ali vs Province of Sindh and others). The judgment directed the government to conduct a farmer census, provide health insurance, housing rights, freedom from bonded labour, and tenancy rights protection. However, the Sindh government has challenged this ruling in the Supreme Court instead of implementing it.
SARC criticised the delay in withdrawing the appeal against the high court ruling, stating that this has stalled the implementation of the Sindh Tenancy Act 1950 and its amendments. Farmers and peasants have repeatedly appealed for the withdrawal of this challenge, but their requests remain unanswered. SARC stressed that if the government drops its appeal, it would be seen as a pro-farmer move, earning appreciation from civil society and benefiting the agricultural sector.
The statement also noted that in October 2019, the Sindh High Court struck down Section 6 of the Sindh Tenancy (Amendment) Act 2013, which removed the prohibition of beggar (unpaid labour). Instead of enforcing this pro-peasant ruling, the Sindh government continues to contest it.
SARC also raised concerns about non-compliance with minimum wage laws, severe water shortages affecting small growers, ineffective vigilance committees monitoring bonded labour, and the lack of implementation of the Sindh Agriculture Women Workers Act 2019. It pointed out that Form 6, a document protecting the rights of haris (tenant farmers), is no longer available in revenue offices, with staff claiming it is no longer published. The statement further criticised the vigilance committees, noting that not a single case of bonded labour has been identified by them in two decades. All peasant releases have been secured through court orders under Section 491 of the CrPC or Article 199 of the Constitution.