March 13, 2003	Thursday	Muharram 9, 1424

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QUETTA, March 12: Gas companies working in Dera Bugti gas fields have agreed to give jobs to the children and relatives of retired and dead employees of the companies who were on strike for the last one week.

Sources said that provincial heads and officials of relevant oil companies had a meeting with Nawab Akbar Khan Bugti in his native town Dera Bugti on Wednesday.

The meeting, which continued for over five hours, discussed various issues including giving jobs, development of the area, rent of the Bugti tribe land being used by the gas companies and provision of gas to Sui and other areas of the district.

Sources said that the meeting ended on a positive note.

According to sources the companies including PPL, OGDC, Sui Southern Gas Company and Sui Northern Gas Company would provide 70 per cent jobs to the people of Bugti tribes. It was decided that these companies would accommodate 12 local engineers and 22 diploma holders’ engineers.

The companies also agreed to provide free gas to all villages in the 3-km areas of all the four gas fields of Sui, Pirkoh, Loti and Uch. The work on laying pipelines up to these villages would be stated within one month.

The issue of land rent acquired by the companies for oil and gas exploration was also discussed in the meeting and it was decided that this issue would be settled in the next meeting. The companies have also assured that development projects would be launched in the district to provide basic facilities to the people of the area.

After the negotiations the striking people called off their protest and hunger strike.