July 29, 2008	Tuesday	Rajab 25, 1429

BADIN, July 28: Irrigation officials are being given three days to ensure availability of water in the tails of all waterways of Badin failing which FIRs will be registered against them, said Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza on Monday. He was speaking at a meeting-cum-open kutchehry with irrigation, revenue and Hesco officials and expressed dissatisfaction over the inefficiency of irrigation and Hesco officials. He warned the officials of Hesco, Irrigation and SIDA to stop conspiring against the PPP government or face jail.

Dr Zulfiqar asked the police to arrest an assistant engineer, Allah Nawaz Memon of Khairpur Gamboh sub-division on complaints of growers. He asked the Executive Engineer Akram Wah to make available water in the tail of distributary on the complaint of Mir Hassan which was accordingly addressed. However, other executive engineer and SDOs were directed to rush to canals for closing watercourses with tampered modules.

The DPO was instructed to provide police protection to officials at the expiry of three-day warning, following which action will be taken against offenders.

The minister told the DCO to conduct raids on fertilizers godowns and also check their accounts.

Our Mirpurkhas correspondent adds: The Mirpurkhas District Council, through a resolution, demanded an end to water rotation program for Nara Canal, said a Sindh government announcement.

A Council Session held on Monday and presided over by the Convener Zafar Ahmed Kamali, adopted a number of resolutions demanding adhering to power loadshedding duration fixed by the government, restoration of closed train services of Mirpurkhas, and release of the district government’s budget.

Through another resolution, the meeting demanded release of funds for government hospitals and an end to illegal deduction of cotton at ginning factories during measurement.

Members called on the government to release the share of districts from the Octroi Zila Tax without any deductions.

Ghulam Mohammad Shah alias Babu Shah demanded impartial inquiry into the death of Ahmed Khan Dal in police custody. A member Fatima Baloch said that generators operated through gas should be banned.