The chief minister has announced a 600-million-rupee hospital for Mithi, the construction or repairs of 200 km of roads in Tharparkar and a better water supply.
“The projects will transform the entire outlook of the city,” assured Qaim Ali Shah, addressing a public meeting at the sports stadium in Mithi. “There will be modern infrastructure, better education and health facilities and a long-standing demand of river water shall also be fulfilled.”
The chief minister assured the people of investment in development projects and an overall improvement in their socio-economic status. Furthermore, 100,000 acres from the Evacuee Trust Property Board will be distributed free to the women peasants of Thar.
Fresh water will be provided to the desert city after it is linked to a river canal. A Rs1.75 billion reverse-osmosis water purification plant shall purify all water extracted from the canal. Henceforth, the 1.6 million residents of Thar shall no longer be subjected to using brackish subsoil water which affects their health. “Like the people of Karachi, the Tharis will also get water from the Indus,” he promised. Thar will also have a cadet college to provide literacy. “Real development is not possible without education,” the chief minister said.
Thar has traditionally been an Arbab Ghulam Rahim stronghold. The CM touched on this when he blamed former president Gen Pervez Musharraf and his former chief minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim of various machinations to eliminate support for the Pakistan Peoples Party in the area. “All games played by the dictator and his men were doomed,” he said. “Yesterday, Musharraf and Arbab did not allow Shaheed Benazir and the PPP leaders to return to their homeland. Today, both of them have left the country in voluntary exile.”
The chief minister highlighted the achievements of the PPP government and said that despite adverse economic conditions, the government had created over 60,000 jobs in the province. Other initiatives such as technical training and skill development for young people and the Benazir Income Support Programme were implemented by the current government.
Previously, Tharparkar was a drought-ridden area but it was Benazir Bhutto who first envisaged the development of the area. She urged people to educate their children, especially their daughters, as it was pivotal for people to achieve their goals.
“Currently we have electricity in Mithi but a dearth of education,” noted the chief minister. Sindh Education Minister Pir Mazharul Haq appealed to the people of Thar to point out ghost schools and absentee teachers. “We shall remove such teachers from service,” he said.
Shah referred to the coal projects in Thar that he hoped would usher in an era of prosperity for the population and address the country’s growing energy needs. “You will not run after jobs, rather employment opportunities will pursue you,” he told a cheering audience. “Companies investing in the projects have consented to the Sindh government’s demand of employing local people.”
The public rally was also attended by Sharjeel Memon, Senator Gul Mohammad Lot, Mukesh Kumar Chawla and other PPP leaders.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 30th, 2011.
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