DADU, March 31: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali has said the government will create more districts out of the existing ones which now have big jurisdictions.
Addressing a gathering of Nazims, Naib Nazims, councillors, MNAs and MPAs in Betto Jatoi near here on Wednesday, he said this would be of help to people and ensure smooth administrative control.
Rejecting reports that the move had political considerations, the prime minister said the opposition would definitely raise the issue. He accused the opposition of misguiding the masses.
He said Sibbi was previously divided into six districts as the government deemed it in public interest and added that location of areas in Balochistan and Sindh caused inconvenience for people.
Mr Jamali announced that development schemes of water supply, drainage, roads, gas and electricity would be executed in remote areas and efforts would be made to alleviate poverty.
He said the communication infrastructure would be improved and better transport facilities would be provided to people. He in this connection mentioned the launching of mega road projects and said work on the Sehwan Indus Highway would begin in May-June.
He said he had directed officials of the National Highway Authority for starting work on the project and its early completion. The prime minister declined that federal and provincial ministers were taking commission on contracts of development schemes and said his government did not believe in political victimization.
He said Sindh was producing a huge quantity of gas for the country. He promised that schemes would be launched to provide gas to remote and neglected parts. He directed Federal Industries and Production Minister Liaquat Ali Jatoi to give proposals for provision of gas facility in villages of the Johi taluka.
About shortage of water in different canals, he said desilting of canals in Sindh and Balochistan would be started after a study was conducted in this regard. He said this would improve the water situation and tail-end areas would also receive water. He had asked the Sindh chief minister to start the desilting work, he added.
He said the government had fixed the price of wheat at Rs350 per maund and that of cotton at Rs950 per maund. He said his government was paying attention to problems confronting growers on priority basis.
Mr Jamali announced that 40 villages in Dadu would be electrified and a new grid station would be established in the Sita Road town. He admitted that the tourist resort of Gorakh hill station was facing problems and that an embezzlement had been reported in construction of the Wahi Pandhi-Gorakh road.
He said the inquiry he had ordered into the matter had been delayed but warned that action would be taken against officials who were found responsible for the misappropriation.
The prime minister also sought a clarification from the Sindh government in this regard. Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar said there were bright prospects of tourism and prosperity of local population as he had released Rs100 million for development of the Gorakh hill station.
He announced that Rs20 million would be spent on desilting of canals in the district and for water supply to tail-end areas. He agreed with the prime minister that creation of new districts was in the interest of people, adding that proposals for creating four to five new districts had been sent to Mr Jamali. Federal Minister Jatoi said the current industrial growth rate was 14.7 per cent and people were deriving benefits from it.
