HYDERABAD, March 21: After protest by a large number of fishermen outside the office of the fisheries department and talks between the leaders of the Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum and the officials of the department here on Monday, the Sindh government is reported to have postponed for an indefinite period an auction of contracts for fishing in lakes and ponds of the province.

A large number of fishermen from Badin, Thatta and Manchhar Lake in Dadu district held a demonstration and staged a sit-in outside the fisheries office to protest against the auction of lakes and ponds under the contract system.

Later, chairman of the PFF Mohammad Ali Shah, Mustafa Mirani from Manchhar Lake, Nawaz Khatti from Badin and Gulab Shah from Thatta held talks with the fisheries department?s deputy director Nasrullah Larik and assistant director Mir Allahdad Talpur.

The officials told the representatives of fishermen that so far they had not received any specific orders from the government to postpone the schedule of the auction.

Mr Shah reminded the officials that the Sindh government functionaries, at a meeting in Badin, had announced that the contract system would be abolished. He expressed surprise that even after the announcement, the contract system was again being imposed.

According to the representatives of the PFF, the officials of the department informed the high ups in Karachi about the situation after which the auction was postponed for an indefinite period.

Later speaking to the protesting fishermen, Mr Shah declared that the struggle against the contract system would continue to its logical conclusion.

He demanded that brackish water lakes and ponds be declared free zones for the fishermen and licenses be issued to them for fishing in the fresh water lakes and ponds.

He appealed to the fishermen of Sindh to unite on one platform to continue the struggle against contract system as postponement of auction was not a permanent solution to the problem.

HOSPITAL: Provincial Director-General of Health Services Dr Hadi Bux Jatoi has said that after taking over additional charge of medical superintendent of the Liaquat University Hospital 11 months ago, he had made available 100 per cent of drugs for ICU, operation theatre, labour rooms and casualty department and 90 to 95 per cent drugs for the wards and OPD.

Dr Jatoi, who has recently left the charge of the medical superintendent, was speaking at a news conference in his office here on Monday after his return from abroad.

He said that during his tenure, the number of patients in casualty department increased from 200 to 450 on daily basis, in OPD from 1,500 to 3,500 and number of operations increased by 100 per cent.

He said that he had renovated a private ward and casualty department with eight air-conditioners at the Hyderabad hospital and installed air-conditioners in the casualty department and operation theatres of the Jamshoro branch of the hospital.

He said that a total of 60 air-conditioners were installed in the hospital and four new ambulances were arranged after 15 years.

He said that for the first time in 50 years, gas supply was sanctioned for the eye hospital and residential quarters.

About machinery and equipment, he said that a generator, furniture and surgical instruments were purchased.