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SANGHAR, June 18: Forty farmers were booked after they scuffled with irrigation officials and police during a protest against closure of a channel here on Wednesday.
Reports said that the protesting farmers gathered at the watergates of Soonehri minor canal of Tando Adam irrigation sub-division and raised the gates which had been closed by irrigation authorities under a rotation programme.
The irrigation officials rushed to the place with a contingent of police but their appearance added to the farmers’ anger and they scuffled with them as well as police. Some farmers snatched a rifle from a police head constable during the dispute, reports said.
Police later lodged a report on the complaint of surveyor Sikandar Shah accusing 40 farmers of water theft and obstruction in official duty.
The rifle was returned to police after the tempers cooled down.
The farmers said that there was no shortage of water and the chief minister also had ordered not to carry out rotation, still the irrigation officials had closed minors and watercourses to mint money on the pretext of rotation.
LOOTED: Passengers of Lahore-bound Karachi Express train were looted by a gang of bandits near Tando Adam on Wednesday.
Eyewitnesses said that five bandits who had boarded the train at Hyderabad as ordinary passengers entered women’s compartment when the train neared Tando Adam.
They robbed women of cash, gold ornaments, mobile phones and other valuable belongings. Meanwhile, someone informed Tando Adam station after hearing hue and cry from the compartment.
When the train stopped at the station police surrounded it and succeeded in arresting two bandits identified as Ghulam Hyder and Umer Daraz while the rest managed to flee.
BUDGET: Member of district council warned on Wednesday that they would not pass a budget, which had been prepared by the bureaucracy. They accused the DCO and the EDO of finance of creating hurdles to the development of the district.
District Nazim Haji Khuda Bux Rajar went a step further, blaming the two officials of spoiling peaceful atmosphere of the district and interfering in the council’s affairs.
He said that while the prime minister had reduced government expenditure the district officials had increased their salary budget.
Ismail Dars, Mohammad Hussain, Ismail Dars, Faqir Qasim Mahar and others warned that they would not allow passage of the budget, which had been prepared by DCO and EDO.
They condemned shifting of Public School from Sanghar to Tando Adam with Faqir Qasim Mahar announcing that he was ready to donate 50 acres of land free of cost for the construction of public school. Why were they still bent upon purchasing land in Tando Adam at exorbitant price, he asked.
The members alleged that Benazir Cards would be disbursed on political grounds and condemned registration of false cases against political opponents in Umerkot and other areas.
