HYDERABAD, June 7: Leaders of political and social organizations from Johi taluka have accused a multinational oil company of exploiting the resources of Sindh and spreading pollution in the area. Speaking at a news conference at the press club here on Monday, Union Council Johi Nazim Usman Jamali, PPP taluka president Bashir Thahim and Young Social Welfare Organization president Sawan Babar said the company had started production in 1998-99 and since then it was ignoring local talent and giving jobs to outsiders.

They said the company had had been harassing the local population by giving small contracts to some greedy people.

They also said that people were being deprived of their lands.

They said land was being destroyed and water and atmosphere were being polluted due to poisonous material of wells.

They feared that the entire waste would be released into the Manchhar Lake in case of floods.

They said the scientific tests of the waste had proved that it contained metal which was dangerous for human life.

They questioned why had the government and the people working for environmental protection not taken any action against the company so far.

The nazim of the UC Johi pointed out that during the last two years many a protest demonstration, hunger strike, shutter-down strike and seminar had been held by political parties and NGOs on the issues but no person in authority had taken any notice of the predicament of the local people.

They said resolutions had also been passed right from the UC to the district council on the issues but no action had been taken so far.

They demanded that the government should direct the company to announce a clear policy about the sale and purchase of land to make public the agreement signed between the government and the company.

They demanded that the government should spend 70 per cent of the gas development surcharge on the development of the local areas according to the international norms.

They demanded that the similar rule should be applied on the royalty of seven oil wells operating in the district.

They said the company should also be directed to take effective measures against pollution and fulfil its obligations for the promotion of health centres and education and ensure clean water supply to the local people.