ISLAMABAD The Benazir Tractor Scheme (BTS), the PPPs first ever welfare project for the countrys peasants during its two-year rule, has caused huge financial losses to the national kitty mainly due to massive irregularities and nepotism, reliable sources have informed TheNation. According to the informed sources, the tractors scheme, planned to help the poor farmers, has actually benefited those who can easily afford to buy tractor through regular bank loans. The sources are of the view that BTS has lost its spirit after gross violation of the basic criteria set out for the applicants. Background interviews and discussions with relevant authorities revealed that claims proved mere slogans ahead of launching this scheme that has not only caused huge financial losses but also left poor farmers at the mercy of God through manipulating computer balloting. Earlier, TheNation on January 25 had first broken the story titled 48 kith and kin of MNA 'randomly win subsidised tractors by exposing that a single family, in district Layyah of Punjab province, who owned thousands of acres of land got 48 tractors out of total quota of 63 through the rigged computer balloting. After thorough investigation, this reporter, acquiring data through reliable sources, learnt that the record of 10,000 lucky winners was being tampered after exposing of nepotism as well as the list of winners had also been removed from MINFA and ZTBL websites to conceal the Rs 7 billion scam in BTS. The available documents say that those who organised the balloting managed to take out the 'random element and rig the result. Indeed a number of influential individuals in MINFA including ZTBL and political parties had conspired collectively to rob poor people of an opportunity to better themselves, said an economist Ashfaq Ahmad Khan while talking to TheNation on phone from Dubai. President Pakistan Computers Association, Munawar Iqbal, said that nobody was going to be taken to task for this blatant manipulation. The software prepared by the Ministry of Information Technology under Ishfaq Gondal for balloting of BTS was said to be 'hacked by someone, who tampered its data for getting desired result, he explained. While President Agriculture Forum Pakistan, Ibrahim Mughal, claimed, The 45 percent quota of tractors went to those who owned hundred of acres of land and billion of rupees were subsided for 'Jialas of PPP only. President Sindh Abadgar Board, Abdul Majeed Nizamani, has claimed that substandard material had been used in these tractors. Meanwhile, a parliamentarian from Sindh, who on condition of anonymity gave the details to this scribe, said that three PPP ministers got some 120 tractors through this scheme. One minister is from Tando Muhammad Khan, one from Larkana and other is from Nawabshah, he added. PML-N leader Javed Hashmi, talking to TheNation, was of the view, If it happened so then the situation is more deplorable. Meanwhile, backdoor meetings with some senior officials of ZTBL and MINFA, whose names would not be disclosed as per policy of the newspaper, not only provided records to this scribe but also confirmed that the desired result have been acquired by the concerned department to oblige the party workers. A quite remarkable 48 members of a single family of above mentioned PML-Q MNA and some 120 tractors to the kith and kin of three ministers bagged themselves new tractors worth about Rs 110 million - not a bad trick if you can pull it off, they deeply lamented in a highly regretful tone for being unable to stop this blatant violation of law and day light robbery of national exchequer that deprived thousands of skilful yet extremely poor growers of their due rights. Meanwhile, on the revelation of TheNations report that Computer rigging hit BTS, one Muhammad Rafiq son of Muhammad Sadiq from Bahawalnagar (Punjab) approached the Supreme Court of Pakistan pleading that Chief Justice might take notice of this computer rigging and provide justice to the poor growers. The copy of this application is also available with TheNation. Earlier, while talking to this reporter, Federal Agriculture Minister Nazar Muhammad Gondal confirmed that there was something extremely wrong with ZTBL or someone else as various growers belonging to Qalat, Attock, Bahawalnagar, Vehari, Mansehra, Nawabshah, Larkana and Khairpur are expressing their deep concerns over the balloting mechanism. Gondal, in a state of utter shock and surprise asked with sorrow, How landlords, who own thousands of acres of land, can get tractors through this scheme by depriving the eligible growers from their due rights? Besides, spokesman of the Agricultural Ministry, Dr Abdul Qadir Baloch, while talking to TheNation termed the whole well plotted and malicious saga a mere coincidence. However, he did not like to disclose how technology was so kind to a single family. Meanwhile, background meetings with ZTBL officials, who did not agree with the statement of the Agricultural Minister, revealed that some influential officials compelled the engineers who prepared software for balloting to select their names. Some 2,108 tractors were gifted to blue-eyed growers as first five digits of their NICs were fixed in the prepared software through Information Ministry on directions of concerned officers, a source close to President ZTBL told TheNation. Although we have no objections to the scheme, yet the way the draw has been held, all tractors have gone to the PPP activists and supporters, he explained. Besides, MNA from NA-152 Multan (Punjba), Mir Liaqat Ali Khan told TheNation that he was extremely enraged and disappointed over the nepotism of some influential on deceiving the nation through their so-called slogans, which, in fact cover their corruption. He was referring to the massive corruption of an MNA from ruling elite, who happened to be the prime accused in tractors scam. Ironically, the same 'leader and 'representative of people of Pakistan is a member of Public Accounts Committee and takes active part in discussions against corruption. The same MNA, a few days back, was seen shouting and screaming on Deputy Auditor General due to some corruption charges against him. MNA from NA-201 Ghotki (Sindh), Ali Mohammad Mahar, also demanded to take action against the authorities, which deprived of 45 percent poor growers from their due rights. A very poor farmer, who visited TheNations office to conduct an exclusive meeting with this scribe was so poor that he couldnt afford the travel fares from Ghotki to Islamabad, the tearful grower, while crying lamented, Getting a tractor was the only hope of my survival that could help me meet the both ends but these powerful and barbaric rulers have snatched this golden opportunity from me. It is worth mentioning here that the scheme was opened to farmers who owned 25 acres or less of land and on September 12, 2009, about 340,000 applications were received, of which 277,106 were finalised for balloting.