Rs500m special package for Qamber Shahdadkot approved

Local PPP leaders complain about delay in rehabilitation work.

KARACHI:

The Sindh cabinet has approved a special development package worth Rs500 million for Qamber Shahdadkot and decided to upgrade the taluka hospital and girls degree college. 

This special package comes in addition to the Rs5.5 billion development fund allocated for the district in the current budget. When the cabinet was meeting a group of people who had cleared test for the position of primary schools teachers gathered outside to protest against the delay in their appointment letters.

The meeting, which was presided over by Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, was informed about the severe water shortage in the district, which has delayed the paddy crop. The local leaders of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party complained that silt in the major canals is cutting off tail-end growers who do not get enough irrigation water to sow their crops.

The cabinet was also informed that a new water and sanitation scheme had been approved and was to be competed by January 2011, but nothing has been done so far. The chief minister directed the officials to complete it soon.

The worsening law and order situation was also discussed along with education, health, irrigation and agriculture issues.

Sources informed The Express Tribune that local office bearers of the PPP complained to the cabinet members that rehabilitation work has not yet been started even in those areas of the district which were hit by the floods in 2010.

The cabinet decided to form a three-member committee headed by Sindh Food Minister Nadir Magsi (who belongs to the district) to visit the area and report about the situation within ten days.

Some people protested against the SSP, Qamber Azfar Mahesar, who has been posted there for a long time. The people alleged that the police officer was patronizing criminals and had failed to control the law and order situation in the district.

After the cabinet meeting, the delegations of growers and traders also met the chief minister and other cabinet members and briefed them about their problems.

Among others cabinet members who attended the meeting were Sindh Local Government Minister Agha Siraj Durrani, Sindh Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ayaz Soomro, Sindh Irrigation Minister Jam Saifullah Dharejo, Minister for Rehabilitation Haji Muzaffar Ali Shujra and Minister for Housing Agha Taimour Pathan.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 12^th, 2012.