NAWABSHAH, April 14: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim has said that the provincial government was utilizing budget for the benefit and betterment of public instead of buying places.

Addressing the people after inaugurating the 129th annual urs ceremony of Hamal Faqir at Mehmood Khan Leghari village near Sakrand on Saturday.

Dr Arbab claimed that earlier there was poverty in Sindh but the province was prospering and problems of people were being resolved.

He further said that the roads, rivers and water courses of British era were being repaired and hospitals and schools were being constructed in urban and rural areas.

He claimed that he was using the funds of the Sindh government with honesty. He said that earlier Sindh was being run on loans but the present government has a surplus of Rs. 40 billion after repayment of development funds.

He said that his government has returned an amount of Rs. 6 billion borrowed from centre on interest and wanted to return more but Islamabad was not ready due to their interests.

He further claimed that there was no shortage of irrigation water and Sindh was having bumper crop for the last three to four years.

He said that there was enough water in dams but he would not allow using water for generation of electricity. He said that six months were left for elections and advised the opposition to prepare for elections instead of taking out protest demonstrations.

Highlighting the personality of Sufi poet Hamal Fakir, he said that Hamal's poetry spread message of peace and harmony to the people.

Reading a verse of his poetry, the CM said that he does not care about anyone. He said that Syed Imdad Mohammed Shah, son of G.M.Syed made an excellent job by working for the Dargah of Hamal Faqir.

Ghulam Rasool Unnar, Advisor to the Sindh CM said that the law and order situation in Sindh, especially in Nawabshah, was deteriorating and economy was being affected.

He further said that the agricultural land of Sakrand was being badly affected due to salinity and needed Sim Nullahs on immediate basis.

Khan Mohammad Dahri, District President of PML-Q, Abdul Rauf Khan, Taluka Nazim Nawabshah, Ghulam Mustafa Jalalani, Taluka Naib Nazim Sakrand also spoke on the occasion.

It may be mentioned here that Abdul Haq Jamali, district naib nazim of Nawabshah and the chairman of Hamal Faqir Cultural Committee, was not allowed to deliver his scheduled speech due to his affiliation with the PPP.Earlier, the chief minister laid a floral wreath at the dargah.