SUKKUR, Oct 6: Hundreds of workers and other employees observed a tool down strike and staged a demonstration at the main gate of Qadirpur gas field on Monday to protest against the proposed privatisation of the gas field.

According to the joint secretary of the OGDCL Mazdoor Ittehad, Zahid Bhutto, hundreds of workers of Qadirpur gas field observed the strike for an hour and staged protest demonstration in front of the main gate of Qadirpur gas field. The enraged workers shouted slogans against the government, which according to them, was disposing of a profit-earning gas field without taking into account its effects on the workers and area people.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Bhutto, Watan Dost Mazdoor Federation chairman Abdul Haq Khatian, Ghotki Trade Unions Alliance president Ghulam Sarwar Abbasi and others said that the privatisation of Qadirpur gas field was tantamount to economic murder of the workers. They claimed that Ms Benazir Bhutto had announced that national assets would not be privatised, but today PPP’s elected government was reversing her policies and by privatising the national assets.

Giving the example of privatisation of PTCL and KESC, they said that both the departments were in a shambles after privatisation. They vowed that they would never allow disposal of Qadirpur gas field to an industrialist.

They said that OGDCL was giving Rs49 billion net profit per year, out of which Qadirpur gas field’s share was Rs36 billion which is almost 56 per cent of the net profit of OGDCL. Privatising such a profit-earning project for just $4 billion was not a wise decision, they maintained.

PRISON VISIT: The adviser to Sindh chief minister on prisons, Gul Mohammad Jakhrani, on Tuesday visited Central Prison-II Sukkur where he went round various wards of the jail and inquired about the health and welfare of the inmates.

Speaking on the occasion, he said that the government was taking interest in solving the problems of the prisoners. He said that those prisoners who were confined in jail and their cases had not been disposed off during the last two years could apply for bail.

He said that our government was giving priority to education including computer education to the prisoners languishing in various jails.

The adviser also ordered uplift of the hospital of central prison-II so that more health care facilities could be provided to the inmates.

Mr Jakhrani directed the superintendent of the jail to provide facilities to the prisoners according to the jail manual.

Jail Superintendent Ashiq Bozdar briefed the adviser about the facilities being provided to the prisoners and informed him that the Sukkur district Zakat committee had provided funds for the provision of medicines to the prisoners.

The staff of the jail also informed the adviser about problems facing them including enhancement of their salaries, etc. The adviser assured them of his all-out support to solve their problems.

Later, the adviser visited the residence of the special assistant to the Sindh chief minister, Pahlaj Mal, and offered condolence on the demise of his brother.