HYDERABAD: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that this year the country would have a bumper wheat crop like last year.

Addressing a reception given in his honor by Hyderabad Press Club, he said that despite a shortage of water last year, the wheat crop came out good. He hoped that there would be a bumper wheat crop in Sindh this year also which would help reduce the shortage of food.

He said that according to the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) there was a 30 per cent shortage of water for the Rabi season this year.

Shah said his government is insisting on distribution of water on basis of 1991 Accord and it would not accept the historical formula of 1996. He said that even though Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had reservations at the time of signing the 1991 water accord but they had accepted it keeping in view the circumstances at that time. He said the Sindh government had told the federal minister for water and power that the distribution of water should be done as per the 1991 Accord and that they would not accept less than it.

Shah lashed out at those who were criticising even good deeds of the present government. He said that when there was drought in Sindh and no water was available for cultivation these very critics remained silent and did not stage any long march nor held any protest demo.

The Sindh chief minister said that during President Zardari’s visit to Karachi, the Sindh cabinet had put up three demands: one about judicious distribution of water, other regarding due share of province in National Finance Commission (NFC) Award and third was about Thar coal.

He said that at a NFC meeting recently held in Quetta his team had been successful in getting the right to collect General Sales Tax on services. This he said was a big achievement of his government. He also narrated the achievements of launching Shahhed Benazir Bhutto Youth Development Program, and Income Support Program. He also said that they had given 40,000 acres of land to landless women peasants.

He said his government had conducted tests for teachers and as many as 20,000 teachers would be appointed. He also said that almost all closed rural health centers and basic health units have been opened and salaries of doctors working at these rural areas have been increased, adding that now government was planning to appoint lady doctors in remote areas of province.

Syed Ali Nawaz Shah minister for agriculture, Ali Nawaz Shah Rizvi minister for special education, Zahid Bhurgri minister for fisheries, Advocate General Sindh Yousuf Leghari, Mirza Ashiq Beg, Amanullah Sial, Jam Saqi and others were present on the occasion.

Earlier, the Sindh chief minister handed over the file of allotment of plots for journalists to press club president Mahesh Kumar, general secretary Hamidur Rehman and Khalid Khokhar former president and head of plots committee. He also announced a donation of Rs1,000,000 for the Hyderabad Press Club.—PPI