MITHI: The names of 67,905 heads of families of Thar with the help of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) are being included in a list so that the Tharis could get relief wheat bags and a summary in this regard has already been sent for approval from relevant authorities.

Sindh Energy Minister Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh, adviser to the Sindh chief minister on information Murtaza Wahab and MPA Qasim Siraj Soomro said this during a press conference in the DC office here on Sunday.

They visited Thar areas and during their stay in Mithi the team members visited Civil Hospital and the food department warehouses to inspect the process of free wheat distribution among Tharis.

The Sindh ministers said that the PPP government was committed to mitigating sufferings of Tharis by providing them maximum relief in the wake of worsening drought conditions in the desert region.

Murtaza Wahab said that the Sindh government took no time to declare Thar drought-hit area after the region did not receive rains by August 15. He said that wheat would be provided to Tharis in their respective 376 Dehs of the district.

Matter of closed reverse osmosis plants to be taken up with Sindh chief minister today

He said that it was easy to criticise the performance of PPP on the floor of the assembly, but very difficult to deliver to the people by meeting them in area like Thar.

He alleged that the PTI leadership was only exploiting the situations in Thar by staging photo sessions.

He said that the PPP governments in the past had always worked for betterment of Tharis by initiating mega projects.

He said a bill of Thar Development Board was with a standing committee and it would be presented in the Sindh Assembly very soon so that better services could be ensured to the people living in the desert.

He said that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was concerned about the worsening situations in the desert region.

He claimed that patients, including underweight and newborns, were provided with quality healthcare facilities in Mithi and other towns and villages.

However there was still a need to do more, he added. He said that the matter of the closed reverse osmosis plants in Thar would be taken up with Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah during a meeting on Monday.

He expressed the hope that the matter would be resolved in the best interests of Tharis and the costly plants would be made operational after a meeting of all stakeholders.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Minister for Energy Imtiaz Ahmed Shaikh said every issue of Thar would be resolved by making effective policies.

He said that a policy was in the making to provide compensation to fire affectees in areas like Thar, where many such incidents took place.

Deputy commissioner of Thar Mohammad Asif Jameel briefed the ministers and said that infants were dying due to child marriages.

The DC said that situations despite the drought were under control and the maximum relief was given to Tharis.

He said that thousands of families out of 208,245, which were registered with Nadra had already been given free wheat bags.

Insiders disclosed to the local journalists that PPP MPAs from Thar including Rana Ham­ir Singh and Arbab Lutfullah during the official meeting raised their serious concerns over the current style of the relief operation and urged that there was a need to provide ba­sic health facilities, including safe drinking water and quality healthcare facilities, to the people.

Published in Dawn, October 8th, 2018