17 April 2004	Saturday	26 Safar 1425

HYDERABAD, April 16: A large number of villagers staged a protest demonstration here on Friday under the banner of Qasimabad Action Committee.

They were protesting against non-availability of drinking water and lack of other basic amenities in their villages in Qasimabad taluka.

The protesters broke empty pitchers on the occasion and blocked traffic for quite some time. The action committee leaders Mehboob Abro, Kazim Shah, Nusrat Channo and others criticised the authorities for depriving the villagers of basic facilities.

Mehboob Abro accused the Qasimabad Taluka Nazim of spending millions of rupees on the development of his own village and ignoring other villages. He demanded that water supply should be given top priority.

UC-I: Residents of union council-I, the city taluka staged a protest demonstration outside the press club on Friday against the menace of mosquitoes in different localities.

Speaking on the occasion, councillor Zahid Mirza said no anti-mosquito spray had been carried out in Jaccob Tank, Baldia Colony, Kalhoro Colony and Sahafi Colony for years.

He said the entire area had become a breeding ground for mosquitoes and added that a large number of people suffered from malaria. He said the EDO health had been approached but without any results. He demanded that anti-malaria spray should be carried out without any further delay.

SAU: Sindh Agriculture University vice-chancellor Dr Bashir Ahmed Shaikh has assured financial support to research scholars for attending conferences and seminars within or outside the country. He was speaking at a meeting of deans of faculties in the university on Thursday.