0
BADIN, Aug 20: Thirteen Union Council Nazims, eight Naib Nazims and about 50 councillors observed token hunger strike in front of the Aiwan-e-Sahafat here on Wednesday against the District Relief Committee.
The protesters were led by two Taluka Nazims of Badin district.
Later, they told newsmen that they would keep opposing the relief process and boycotting the work in the wake of exclusion of Taluka Nazims and other Union Council Nazims in the District Relief Committee.
They alleged that the Sindh cabinet had neglected real representatives of the people at the grass-roots level by nominating their own people in relief work.
Taluka Nazim Dr Musarrat Hussain Khwaja accused the authorities of partisan attitude as Taluka Nazim Shaheed Fazil Rahu was included in the District Relief Committee, whereas the Taluka Nazim, Badin, had been ignored.
He said that the District Relief Committee was itself not authorized to nominate members without approval of the Sindh cabinet.
He criticized the marginal assistance of $40,000 by the World Food Programme saying it was tantamount to mockery with the masses.
CHAIRMAN: The chairman, District Relief Committee, MPA Syed Ali Bux Shah alias Papoo Shah has described the protest by a few Nazims as untimely, futile and against the interests of rain victims.
He said that such protests would prevent the smooth relief and rehabilitation process.
He said that the Nazims, belonging to the rain-hit coastal areas, did not join the protest as they did not want to create hurdles in the path of the District Relief Committee.
He claimed that the Nazims who had earlier received relief goods for distribution among the rain victims were trying to escape accountability.
He contended that a criminal case for snatching a relief goods truck had been registered against the union council Nazim, Mithi, who also joined the hunger strike.
