February 25, 2008	Monday	Safar 17, 1429

MIRPURKHAS, Feb 24: Nazim of Mirpurkhas union council-1 Abid Hussain Rajput and former vice-chairman of the Mirpurkhas municipal committee have demanded immediate end to political interference in the local bodies department.

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, they said that the new government would concentrate on solving the problems like price hike and unemployment, providing basic amenities and launching development projects.

Criticising the beautification work under the taluka municipal administration of Mirpurkhas they said that a number of unnecessary projects were being carried out while several areas needing sewerage and drainage network were being neglected.

They said that main roads in front of the district coordination officer (DCO) office and in posh areas were being widened.

They alleged embezzlement of millions of rupees and said that substandard material was used in road construction and repair works.

They called for a system for monitoring the use of funds on the beautification programme because half of the amount had been provided by the Sindh government. They said that a new bus terminal was without water supply.

ACCIDENT: At least 20 passengers were injured when a Mirpurkhas-bound passenger coach turned turtle and fell into a ditch after its tie-rod broke on the Kot Ghulam Mohammad-Mirwah road on Saturday night.

The injured passengers were taken to hospitals in Mirwah and Mirpurkhas.

The injured were identified as Mehboob Ali, Mohammad Naeem, Irshad Ahmed, Akbar, Abdul Hameed, Mohammad Nadeem, Mohammad Younus, Habibullah, Faqeer Mohammad, Morkho, Khalid Ahmed, Parkash, Mohammad Farooque, Syed Akbar, Kamran, Shahzad Akhtar, Khalil, Waseem, Abdul Aziz and Moryo.

Two seriously injured passengers, Irshad Ahmed and Abdul Hameed, were referred to the Liaquat Medical University Hospital (LMUH) in Hyderabad.