June 19, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-us-Sani 14, 1429

BADIN, June 18: The future of more than 250 employees of Sindh On-Farm Water Management project of the Agriculture Department is hanging in the balance as their contracts have lapsed.

According to reports, 250 employees including 13 women on the posts of

water management officers, computer operators, rod-men and others had been served job termination notices as the World Bank assisted projects, they were affiliated with, will close by month end.

Water management officers Sohail Ahmed Memon, Mohammad Masood Jatoi, Akhtar Memon and others told Dawn that they were working since last four years and a summary for their job regularisation was submitted to the Chief Minister Sindh eight months ago but was pending due to bureaucratic hurdles.

They said poor employees apprehend of getting deprived of their livelihood.

They said their services can be absorbed in Agriculture Department and livelihood saved and demanded of the chief minister to regularise their jobs.