UMERKOT: On the demand of district council (DC) members, the Umerkot DC chairman has asked the NGOs working in the district to share their monthly income, expenses, number of employees — including locals and outsiders — their projects and areas of their operation.

The demand was made here on Wednesday at a DC session presided over by chairman Dr Noor Ali Shah.

Expressing their concerns, the members said that in recent years mushrooming of NGOs had been witnessed and their owners had become rich in a short period of time. In most of the cases, no practical work was carried out and only photo sessions were held and fake vouchers issued to run affairs in files only, they alleged.

They also complained that more than 30 NGOs were working in the district, but they hired outsiders, ignoring the local youth.

The chairman directed the NGOs to cooperate with members of their respective union councils to help them monitor their projects.

He said the local youth were entitled to jobs in the NGO working in their respective areas.

A member, Pir Mohammad Palli, said Umerkot district had more than two million livestock, but the livestock department appeared non-functional. No vaccination and treatment facilities were available in arid or irrigated areas of the district, causing huge economic losses to farmers and breeders, he said.

Another member, Soofi Akbar, said that all NGOs focused on a few UCs and the same projects; they should distribute their work equally among all UCs.

Agha Malik Chandio tabled a resolution to bind the food department to issue gunny bags earlier and start procurement on time to avoid hardships to growers.

Representatives of the NGOs assured their cooperation in the session.

Published in Dawn, February 8th, 2018