HYDERABAD, Sept 23: More than 1,000 people affected by recent rains are still living on the protective bund of the Indus river as their villages in Qasimabad taluka are still submerged.

Speaking at a press conference at the press club on Saturday, Qasimabad taluka’s UC-2 nazim Mehboob Abro held the district administration responsible for the displacement of the villagers.

He said that the administration was aware of the monsoon season but it made no efforts for desilting drains and repair of machines.

He said that Qasimabad and Hyderabad rural talukas were meted out step motherly treatment.

He said that not a single machinery had been given to Qasimabad and Hyderabad rural talukas though machinery costing Rs10 million was purchased from relief funds.

Mr Abro said that a cut was made in Wadhu Wah to drown UC-2 and UC-3 of the Qasimabad taluka but the breach was closed following protests by people and meeting of nazims with the GOC.

He said that an FIR was registered against him and many other people for protesting against the cut in Wadhu Wah.

He said that Nadra office had been shifted from the State Life building on the Thadi Sarak to Latifabad.

As a result, tens of thousands of people of the Qasimabad taluka had not been able to get their NICs.

He said that Latifabad taluka and city taluka already had two Nadra offices whereas no such office had been established in Qasimabad taluka.

He said that Sindhi officers were being transferred from the Hyderabad district.

He said that there was a shortage of manpower in the Qasimabad taluka hospital and even orders of secretaries were not being obeyed by the district administration with regards to postings of officers.

He said that Sindhis were suffering from a sense of deprivation due to open discrimination by the district administration which could lead to disastrous consequences.

He appealed to the president, political parties, writers and intellectuals, specially Urdu-speaking writers and intellectuals, to perform their due role in maintaining ethnic harmony in the district.

He demanded that cases against nazims and people for holding protest demonstrations should be withdrawn and relief funds and machinery should be judiciously distributed among all talukas.

Councillors Haleem Abro, Pir Bux Deshak and Shamshad Memon were present on the occasion.