Thar Jeep Rally to boost tourism: CM Murad

Murad says will hold sports, cultural and musical events in desert every winter

MITHI/HYDERABAD:

The Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has said his government wants to organise the events like Thar Desert Rally every year.

Speaking at the concluding ceremony of the Thar sports festival, Shah said the desert challenge run has been held after 10 years. The festival also featured other competitions besides the main event of the rally.

The CM said that he assured the organisers of the rally, especially Arbab Lutfullah, that he would completely support their event. As many as 106 vehicles took part in the qualifying race of the rally stretching to over 100 kilometers.

Aqeel Ahmed finished first in the stock category A, completing the 100-km track with the co-driver Mohammad Shahzada, in one hour, 19 minutes and 47 seconds. He was followed by Mir Amir Magsi and Berbark Baloch in the second and third positions.

Sultan Bahadur Aziz topped in the category B, Hassan Jhandir in cateogory C and Shakeel Bharchundi in D. Dina Ronnie Patel won the women's stock race in which only two female contestants, including Nida Wasti, took part. The other sports events like camel and horse races besides the traditional wrestling called Malakhra also drew great interests of the local people and the visitors.

Tharparkar ready to host tourists

The CM said Tharparkar is ready to host tourists with the growing accommodation facilities and an airport in the district. Shah said the government is planning to organize three to four festival type activities in every winter and one more activity after the monsoon rains in the summer. "Thar will change whole Pakistan."

Reviewing the development portfolio of Tharparkar at DC office, Mithi, the chief minister directed the energy and local government department to make the reverse osmosis plants (RO) water filtration plants functional.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, Syed Nasir Shah, Imtiaz Shaikh, Syed Sardar Shah, Zia Abbas Shah, SMBR Shams Soomro, Chairman P&D Hassan Naqvi, secretary Local Govt, Secretary Health, Secretary Culture, Secretary Public Health, Secretary school education and secretary college education, secretary irrigation and other concerned officers.

The MNAs, MPAs, senators, special assistants to the CM from Thar also attended the meeting.

Shah reviewing development portfolio of Thar said that his government has launched 111 schemes for Rs5653.298 million against which Rs3315.187 million or 59 per cent funds have been released, of them Rs2280.807 million or 69 per cent funds have been utilised.

He said that apart from provincial Annual Development Programme, at least 261 schemes have been launched under District ADP for Rs4172.473 million against which Rs755.804 million have been allocated and released and so far Rs552.717 million have been utilised.

Meeting with growers

Representatives of local farmers told the CM that groundwater was sweet in 24 union councils of Tharparkar and could be used for agriculture purposes.

The farmers said that they have successfully grown onions, tomatoes, eggplant, okra and other vegetables and fruits like lemon, orange, and guava in the sand-swept district by using groundwater.

They suggested using submersible pumps could bring an agricultural revolution in Thar. The chief minister directed Planning and Development Division Chairman Hassan Naqvi to prepare a scheme of 500 submersible pumps for the people of Tharparkar.

Shah said that Thar has a great potential to grow organic vegetables, fruits and organic cows, camel and goat milk which has a vast and rich international market.

He constituted a committee under Advisor Agriculture Manzoor Wassan with experts of TandoJam Agriculture University and local agriculturists to study ways and means to boost agriculture sector in Thar and give their recommendation for promoting organic fruit, vegetable and milk industry.

Shah taking notice of cutting of trees directed deputy commissioner Mithi to stop it and asked him to grow more trees, including fruit trees to increase the population of birds in the desert.

 

 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 17, 2022.