June 20, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 04, 1428

MITHI, June 19: President of the Tharparkar chapter of the People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP), Mahesh Malani, alleged on Tuesday that 83,272 supporters of his party had been left out of the district’s voters’ lists.

He said in a press release that the total number of voters in the district according to old lists stood at 455,281, which had dropped to 372,009 in the new lists. It indicated the fact that 83,272 PPP supporters had not been listed, he charged.

He said that the old lists of Mithi, Diplo, Nagarparkar and Chhachhro talukas put voters’ number, respectively, at 124,892, 98,568, 69,403 and 162,418, which had fallen to 97,049, 69,862, 63,573 and 141,535 according to new lists.

Mr Malani said that the names of about 15,000 party supporters had not been entered in the new electoral rolls of several union councils in Chhachhro taluka while 3,000 fake voters of an influential community had been listed on the voters lists despite the fact that they were not residing in the town.

More than 4,000 fake voters had been listed in Mithi town, who were at the same time listed in Doonjh, Dhodharo, Karhiar and Mithrio Soomra villages, the release added.

He said that it was a Herculean task for uneducated rural voters to verify their names at the display centres, which had been set up far from their villages.

PPP office-bearers urged the election commission to take measures to get the voters lists corrected in Tharparkar district.

TRANSFER: Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has ordered transfer of medical superintendent of taluka hospital Chhachhro, Dr. Hemraj, over growing public complaints against his attitude.

The chief minister said at an open katchehry in Dodharo near Naukot on Monday that doctors should perform their duties with dedication and ensure provision of healthcare facilities to the poor patients.

He advised the jobless youth who gave him applications for jobs that they should follow advertisements published from time to time in newspapers and apply for the jobs of their interest but made it clear that jobs would be given purely on merit.

Dr. Rahim directed the officials of Left Bank Outfall Drain to expedite cleanliness and excavation work of the drain in order to avert possible losses during ensuing rainy season.

He heard complaints of Tharis who had come to the katchehry from far flung villages and extended financial aid to a number of poor persons.

Earlier, the chief minister inspected work on laying a 45-kilometre pipeline for water supply to Diplo via Khetlari and a filter plant at Khetlari village.