HYDERABAD: Federal Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar has said provision of gas in gas-producing districts of Sindh would be ensured soon along with other development schemes.

Speaking at gatherings of party workers and receptions organised by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Tando Allahyar and Tando Mohammad Khan on Saturday evening, he held the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) responsible for the “poverty and starvation” the people of Sindh were facing today.

PTI leaders Ali Palh, Zulfikar Shah, Firdous Shamim Naqvi and others were present on the occasion.

Mr Umar said that centres of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) would be opened at taluka level in every district on the directives of Prime Minister Imran Khan. He said the people of Sindh felt deprived because they faced injustices in the past.

Holds PPP responsible for poverty and starvation in the province

He said that only ‘Zardari league’ was responsible for the poverty and starvation in Sindh because the PPP had focused on corruption alone.

The minister said that the federal government would provide jobs to Sindh’s educated youths on merit. Deserving people in Sindh had been provided financial assistance under the Ehsaas Kifalat programme, he added.

He said that Nadra was again conducting a survey for Ehsaas Kifalat programme. Easy loans were provided for helping people to build homes, he said, adding that that a special package was provided for growth in the agriculture sector.

He said Tando Allahyar was a rich agricultural area but like other parts farmers did not get adequate prices of their produce. He announced that a food processing unit would be established in the district to enable farmers to earn better returns.

He said that Nadra centre in Jhando Marri taluka would be opened soon on the request of Ali Palh.

Mr Umar said that the prime minister would approve development schemes for Sindh soon. He said a package on the pattern of Karachi package would be announced for other parts of the province.

He said he had been directed by the prime minister to visit different parts of Sindh and see what kind of developments could be done in the province.

The minister said he could have designed schemes while sitting in Islamabad but those would have been without assessing ground realities. He said the conditions in Sindh could not be changed as long as the province was ruled by those who raise fortunes in Dubai, England and France while exploiting the name of Sindh.

He said Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari perhaps did not know that his maternal grandfather was a civil martial administrator and PPP’s first government was formed 50 years ago.

He said God had given natural resources to Sindh which didn’t exist in other provinces of the country, but it was an irony that rulers continue to prosper in this province while masses kept suffering economically.

Mr Umar said Tando Allahyar would get gas supplies in its villages and suburbs. He said the prime minister believed that the area which was producing gas must get it on priority. He promised to raise this issue with the petroleum ministry and hopefully allocations would be made in the next budget for supply of gas to these areas.

Ali Palh informed the minister that four gas fields operated in the district but still villages and suburbs remained without gas.

He called for abolition of contractual employment in gas fields. He demanded establishment of a federal university and a technical college in Tando Allahyar.

Published in Dawn, March 1st, 2021