DADU, Oct 28: The district council members passed a resolution demanding jobs to locals in Zamazama gas field and development of the area as per the agreement.

The resolution, passed unanimously during a meeting of the district council on Tuesday, urged the BHP – oil, gas exploration company - to provide jobs to locals and also carry out development work in the area.

Members of the district council threatened to hinder supplies, stage demonstration and take control of oil and gas wells if their demands were not looked into.

The meeting, presided over by the District Naib Nazim Syed Hussain Shah, discussed only the motion regarding the BHP which later was adopted as a resolution.

Member Ghulam Qadir Babar tabled the resolution saying that the officials of BHP were depriving the poor people of area of their basic rights. He alleged the company of not paying compensation to local people but extracting oil and gas from the area since 1998. He castigated that even cook and lower staff working at Zamzama gas field belonged to rest of the three provinces, except Sindh.

Another member Sikandar Leghari supporting the resolution said that the community funds were not being judiciously utilised in the area as Rs4 millions was spent on sports in Lahore with the tag of donation. He deplored the authorities of spending funds in other provinces and depriving thousands of inhabitants of villages surrounding the Zamzama gas field of even drinking water.

Another member, Abid Lakhair said that the UC Nazims with the support of local people will stage demonstration outside the BHP camp office. He reminded that the affected growers were protesting against the BHP since last many months but local officials were misguiding senior officers by providing them false information.

A lady councillor Shaher Bano said that women will also participate in the proposed protest and added that a delegation of UC Nazims, social workers and notables of the area would meet President Asif Ali Zardari and submit complaint regarding the BHP.

Another lady councillor Imam Zadi Shaikh said that the district council should write letters to BHP chief and apprise him of the situation. Ms Imtiaz Chandio said that the qualified young engineers of the area were being neglected in jobs in the field. She alleged that the community development funds were not being used properly owing to wrong policies of senior officers of the BHP.

Zila Naib Nazim Syed Hussain Shah told the house that they would protest if officials of the BHP did not pay attention to their call. He said the local people and UC Nazims and councillors would take a strong stance on the issue. He advised the BHP Chief to resolve the issues otherwise they would stop supplies to the company.