MITHI, May 25: The Tharparkar district council has adopted a resolution calling upon the prime minister and Sindh chief minister to set up a medical college in Tharparkar.

Moving the resolution in the council’s session here on Thursday, member Kirshan Lal Rathi said that the Tharparkar district had a population of about 1.5 million, but it remained underdeveloped. Most students here, despite being talented, could not afford fees and other expenses of distant medical colleges because of poverty. Therefore, a medical college should be set up in Thar, he demanded.

Arbab Abdul Malik, Guman Singh, Abdul Subhan Sangrasi, Kewal Ram and other members supported the resolution, saying that the Tharparkar district had four talukas and 44 union councils, but it did not have any medical college.

The council unanimously adopted the resolution.

Moving another resolution, member Abdul Subhan Sodho pointed out that on the one hand animals were dying here because of drought while on the other theft of cattle was on the rise. One could not get back his stolen animal without paying ransom to patharidars and thieves, he told the council.

He demanded a stern action against the cattle thieves.

Exchanging heated arguments and supporting the resolution, Mohammad Ramzan Malkani, Guman Singh, Arbab Abdul Malik and Bhagat Maturam alleged that the system of lodging FIR and its investigation was too lengthy, complicated and non-transparent.

They said a poor resident of Thar could not get back its stolen goat without spending the cost of five goats on the investigation of the case and recovery of stolen animal.

Accusing police of corruption and fleecing the poor in the course of investigation, the members alleged that most of the police officials were in league with the cattle thieves in Thar and action was not taken against them.

Convener Abdul Karim Rahimoo apprised the members that the DPO would come on Friday to clarify the factual position regarding the cattle thefts at the session.