June 18, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 13, 1429

HYDERABAD, June 17: The Hyderabad district council on Tuesday called on oil exploration companies to ensure expenditure of one per cent of their revenue on provision of basic facilities of education, health and transport to the people of their areas.

It also called for provision of jobs to local people and payment of 12.5 percent royalty by the companies.

A resolution to this effect was tabled by Zahida Memon who claimed that oil reserves were available in Hyderabad (rural) taluka’s Moosa Khatian, Haji Sawan Khan Gopang, Moolan and Tando Fazal union councils. The council unanimously adopted the resolution.

She said as per petroleum concession agreement, an oil company was bound to provide jobs to local people, pay 12.5 per cent royalty and provide gas supply in an area of five-kilometre radius.

Mrs Memon’s another resolution regarding an under-construction flyover on Lined Channel was referred to the council’s works committee. She said that the flyover was being built on a garbage dumping ground where heaps of garbage had been buried below 100 feet of ground. She apprehended that pillars of the flyover could lose ground therefore a retired engineer should be hired for supervision.

The council disposed of heavy agenda before the session was adjourned for Wednesday. It adopted a resolution of Javed Kardar regarding preservation of national heritage and archaeological sites in the city for which funds were provided to the federal archaeology department.

He feared that if attention was not paid, the sites would vanish.

A resolution of Farzana Ansari regarding establishment of a medical college and a research laboratory at Bhitai Hospital was referred to the council’s health committee.

The council called for removal of encroachments from city roads through a resolution which was submitted by Ishtiaq Ahmed Ansari. It also sought action against encroachers. Nasima Khan’s resolution called for establishment of a park in Kohsar as the city’s population was growing fast and people had few recreational facilities.

A resolution of Mehboob Abro, seeking debate on availability of funds for citizen community boards, was referred to the council’s committee on CCB. The convener directed the chairman of the CCB committee to submit details of funds earmarked for the boards in next session.

The council formed a 10-memebr committee to look into the issue of honourarium for the members and submit its recommendation to the chair. The convener would then write a letter to Sindh government. He said that the matter should be discussed with the EDO finance and the district nazim as well.