DADU, Dec 18: The district council has demanded that multinational companies should pay 13 per cent royalty on gas and oil to the district government to initiate development schemes in the oil/gas producing areas.

The demand was made in a resolution unanimously passed by the district council in its meeting held at the district council hall here on Thursday in which 34 resolutions were passed.

Tabling the resolution, Kamal Khan union council Nazim Ibrahim Rind said the oil and gas companies, working in Dadu district, did not recruit the local people.

He said the multinational companies— BHP, LASMO, ENI Pakistan and TEKINO— had exploited the area resources but did not undertake development schemes of roads, drainage, education and health.

He demanded the companies should paying stop royalty to the federal government and pay the same to the district government.

Jamshoro UC Nazim Naima Baloch informed the session that the district health authorities did not pay attention to different health facilities operating under the district government.

She said many a hospital and health centre were closed while others were functioning without medicines. She said the health officials did not pay visits to the hospitals.

Nisar Ahmed Shaikh, Nazim UC-III, Dadu town; Abdul Ghaffar Khan Khero, Nazim UC-IV; Mohammad Usman Jamali, Nazim UC Johi and other members demanded women staff and instruments should be provided to Johi, Khairpur Nathan Shah, Sita Road hospitals and other health centres.

The members passed the resolution unanimously and directed the health EDO to provide details about closed hospitals, shortage of instruments and doctors.

Health EDO Dr Moula Bux Jamali informed the council the taluka hospitals faced a shortage of specialist doctors and instruments and he had written to the Sindh health secretary and the BHP for help.

The Nazim, UC-III Dadu city, Nisar Ahmed Shaikh, while moving his resolution said substandard material was used in the construction of drains in the city hence the drainage system had collapsed.

The Nazim, UC Bughio, Dhani Bux Bughio, said the high and middle schools of Fareedabad, Radhan, New Goth and 20 other union councils were closed.

The council members unanimously passed the resolution and demanded the closed schools should be opened and action be taken against teachers and education officials.

Naib Nazim asked the education EDO to provide details of the closed schools but the EDO was not present in the session.