19 September 2004	Sunday	03 Shaban 1425

MIRPURKHAS, Sept 18: Many water tank schemes in the district, which were to be executed under quota of MNAs and MPAs, have been delayed because of indifference of the executive engineer of the district public health engineering department.

Landowners and farmers, including Rais Hussain, Shamsuddin Shaikh, Krishan Meghwar, Jan Mohammad and Shah Bakhsh, told journalists on Friday.

Survey of the schemes had been completed while estimates by the department were awaited, however, the XEN seemed not to be taking any interest in the process, they said.

Estimates of the schemes were not prepared, they added.

They said that since there was an acute shortage of water, tanks for storing water had been necessitated in villages.

Calling for early completion of the schemes, they demanded that higher authorities should take notice of the matter and ensure preparation of the estimates.

DROWNS: Sanaullah, the two-year-old son of Anwar Shaikh, drowned in a watercourse in Nasir Mori village, near Kot Ghulam Mohammad town, while playing outside his house on Friday.

Land dispute: Armed members of the Mangrio and Kumbhar communities have entrenched against each other in Deh Tagusar Daroro, Khipro taluka, on account of a dispute involving 200 acres of farmland.

Talking to journalists, Haji Mohammad Khan Kumbhar and others alleged that over 150 armed Mangrio clansmen attacked Haji Ismail Kumbhar village and resorted to aerial firing on Thursday.

They further said that the attackers had occupied the disputed 200 acres and claimed that they were owners of the land and had been cultivating it for past several decades.

They said that after they approached the Sindh chief minister, the TPO of Khipro, the SHOs of Khipro and Khai and taluka nazim of Khipro, the police set up a picket in the village to prevent any untoward incident. However, they accused the police of backing their opponents.

They demanded of the higher authorities to take notice of the dispute and action against attackers and provide protection to their lives and properties.

A few days ago, armed men of both sides exchanged fire, spreading panic in area.

Both the parties have contacted Pir Pagaro for resolving the issue which led to formation of a reconciliation committee but it failed to evolve a consensus between the parties on the ways to settle the dispute.