DADU, Jan 23: Federal Water and Power Minister Liaquat Ali Khan Jatoi has said equal share of water has been released to the provinces for Rabi crops and wheat has been cultivated on millions of acres during the current season.

Speaking at a public gathering and later talking to journalists in the Betto Jatoi village on Sunday, he said water pumping stations at a cost of Rs8.5 million had been approved for Mado, Faridabad and Gul Mohammad Chandio villages in the Dadu district.

He said to store rainwater, Nai Gaj dam would be constructed at the main fountain point of Nai Gaj. He said a survey for the dam had been initiated and funds for the project would be provided by the federal government.

Mr Jatoi said after construction of the dam, thousands of acres of barren land in Wahi Pandhi, Hero Khan, Sawaro, Chhinni, Tando Raheem, Pat Gul Mohammad, Haji Khan, Drigh Bala, Qasbo, Toore, Rajo Dero and Gul Qambrani areas of Kachho would be brought under cultivation.

He said water of the Nai Gaj dam would be used in Rabi and Kharif seasons. The minister claimed that power load-shedding had been completely ended in the country and officers resorting to load-shedding would be punished.

He said the Sukkur Barrage was the lifeline of Sindh irrigation and added that the federal government was assisting the provincial government in the barrage repair work. Later, delegations of nazims, MPAs, MNAs, Dadu Chamber of Commerce and Industry and farmers met the minister at his residence.

ARRESTED: The Jamshoro police on Sunday morning arrested three people while trying to rob the manager of a petrol pump. Jawad Ali Shah, Saleem Shah and Javed Shah barged into the office of the Sitara petrol pump near the Toll Plaza, Jamshoro and held manager Hussain Khan hostage.