HYDERABAD, July 15: The Sindh Democratic Forum (SDF) - an organisation of intellectuals, irrigation and agriculture experts, academics and leaders of civil society - has accused federal and Sindh governments of turning their eyes away from the responsibilities towards flood-affected people resulting in the destruction of agriculture sector.

The forum held a meeting on Saturday under the Chairmanship of Abrar Kazim and reviewed political, economic and social situation in Sindh.

It decided to hold a press conference in collaboration with the Sindh Chamber of Agriculture and the Sindh Abadgar Board on flood situation in Sindh and Balochistan and the manner in which both provincial and federal governments in fulfilling their responsibilities.

It condemned the violation by both regarding employments on rural and urban quota system alleging them of changing the constitutionally sanctioned 60-40 ratio of rural and urban share in employment to 50-50.The issue had been further compounded by providing employment on the basis of political affiliation. It said the MQM had been allowed to get more than 40 people employed in the Culture Department.

It also condemned the allotment of land to a businessman through a shadowy deal near the historical and cultural heritage of Chowkandi graveyard in Karachi. It claimed that such a move had been resisted by successive administrations in the past and was bound to harm an important historical monument. The meeting demanded immediate cancellation of the land. It also alleged secretive deals of allotment of land to private parties and federal agencies near Jhampir, Keenjhar Lke, coastal areas and other parts on the pretext of power generation and other schemes and called for its immediate cancellation.

It said that if there were some useful schemes like wind-power then these should be made transparent by placing them before the provincial assembly and taking stakeholders and citizens on the board.

It criticised the proposal to divide Gadap town in two parts to deprive Sindhis of their representation in provincial and federal assemblies and reduce their demographic share in the town.