BADIN: Sindh Minister for Irrigation and Auqaf Sohail Anwar Siyal has said Sindh government plans to reconstruct and beautify Luari Sharif town after it has reopened the shrine of Sufi saint Khowaja Mohammad Zaman after 36 years.

The minister said at a press conference at deputy commissioner’s office here late on Wednesday that Sindh government had already sanctioned an amount of Rs20 million for the repairs of the shrine and would spend more money on installation of reverse osmosis plants to provide safe drinking water to residents of the town, which had suffered a great deal in past three decades.

He said that Sindh government was very much serious in providing basic facilities to other parts of Badin district. Without naming Mirza family, he said that despite being in power for past several years they had done little for the people of the district. They mostly kept mum over issues of Badin district in particular and rest of Sindh in general, he said.

He criticised Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf rulers and said that not only people of Sindh but also of the rest of the country were facing the worst inflation and price hike and were praying for removal of the “naive” rulers, who had made their lives miserable by callous and indifferent policies.

Siyal said that PTI government had broken the back the poor. Instead of lessening peoples’ problems the federal government was planning to impose more taxes on the poor. Therefore, the present rulers had become security risk for Pakistan, he said.

He said that Pakistan Peoples Party under leadership of Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was the only party capable of steering the country out of present morass. The Sindh government was making comprehensive policies to provide water to water-starved areas during upcoming Kharif season and despite financial crisis the Sindh government had undertaken a number of schemes to boost agriculture in lower Sindh, especially in Badin district, he said.

The minister said that all genuine issues of the farming community would be resolved.

Siyal said later at Jamali House in Tando Bago town that Sindh government had already issued orders to functionaries of Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority and irrigation department to ensure just water distribution in all tail-end areas of the district and other parts of lower Sindh.

He said that he had directed the officials to take notice of water theft and register cases against those involved in the theft of water through illegal and tampered watercourses and channels.

Published in Dawn, February 7th, 2020