July 02, 2008	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 27, 1429

DADU, July 1: In a massive drive against theft of water in the southern division of Dadu here on Tuesday, a team of irrigation officials sealed 20 watercourses, removed spurs and seized a number of lift machines.

Responding to complaints of small growers, the irrigation team led by the superintending engineer Western Sindh circle Larkana, Zahid Hussain Junejo, launched a drive against water thefts.

The team raided Pyaro waterway from head to tail and found 12 water courses direction of which were diverted illegally by the influential landlords.

The superintending engineer sealed these watercourses under Irrigation Act. The team also visited Johi branch and Dadu canal.

The irrigation team has established a camp in Dadu to check tail-end growers complaints of water shortage.

He said that influential growers were illegally taking from waterways through these water lifts as a result of which water was not reaching to the tail-enders.

PROTEST: A large number of widowed women and social workers staged a demonstration outside the press club here on Tuesday to protest against district chairman of zakat and ushr committee for unjustified distribution of zakat.

They were led by social worker Nadeem Ahmed Ghalloo and councillor Soni Solangi.

They alleged that chairman of zakat and ushr committee Dadu was getting 30 per cent commission through his agents from local chairman of zakat of dehs.

They said that hundreds of deserving people were not getting zakat as they were unable to pay commission for the chairman of district zakat and ushr committee. They sought an inquiry into the matter.