August 08, 2008	Friday	Sha’aban 5, 1429

LARKANA, Aug 7: Larkana and Qambar-Shahdadkot districts had great potential for cement factories, rice bran oil extracting mills and their allied industries and the government just needed to evolve a strategy to tap local resources, said Gada Hussain Mahesar, vice-president of Sindh Abadgar Board, on Thursday.

He said that fresh rice bran contained seven to eight per cent oil, which if extracted within 24 hours could be used as cooking oil and could also be converted into bio-fuel.

He said he had sent the suggestions to the government in order to promote industry in interior of Sindh and help boost economy.

Mr Mahesar said that after laboratory tests conducted during the days of late Ms Benazir Bhutto in Khirthar Mountains the experts had okayed the establishment of cement and gypsum factories in Qambar-Shahdadkot district to create job opportunities for locals.

But the efforts were left half-done, he regretted.

Mr Mahesar said that rice growing districts in the province needed 200 million woven polypropylene (WPP) sacks for packing and transporting rice, grain and vegetables.

The rice growing districts procured WPP bags from industries in Karachi, Peshawar and Punjab, he said and suggested that the government establish a WAP industry in Larkana.