Post-flood corruption: Jacobabad DCO, EDO summoned to court

Petitioner says seven UCs were ignored in relief distribution.

SUKKUR: Jacobabad DCO and EDO have been called to court to explain why seven union councils were ignored during flood relief distribution.

The Larkana circuit bench of the Sindh High Court, comprising Justice Aqeel Ahmed and Justice Salman Hamid, heard a constitutional petition filed by Abadgar Action Committee Jacobabad President Asghar Panhwar through his lawyer Mohammad Ashiq Dhamra on Thursday.

The petitioner’s lawyer told The Express Tribune that the petition was filed on February 10. It states that seven union councils of Jacobabad district including UCs 3, 4, 5, 6, 11, 12 and 14, were not declared flood-affected, even though all 15 UCs in this district were directly - or indirectly - affected because their residents had to move to safer places after the administration had issued warnings and directions to evacuate.

All the UCs were in the same boat so they should be treated the same, said Dhamra.

Residents in the seven UCs have been deprived of Watan cards and of the seed and fertiliser which was being distributed free of charge to flood-hit farmers in the province. “The district administration has completely ignored the poor growers of these union councils.”

The petitioner asked the court to hold a judicial inquiry into the large-scale corruption in the distribution of seed and fertiliser. After hearing the counsel, the court issued notices to the DCO and the Revenue EDO for February 24 and adjourned the hearing.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 19^th, 2011.