HYDERABAD, Aug 21: The Irrigation Workers' Union (CBA), Kotri Barrage, has alleged that gate No. 5 and 12 of the barrage's headworks have developed ditches due to negligence of the irrigation department.

Speaking at a press conference at the Hyderabad press club on Saturday, the chairman of the union, Mohammad Anwar, president Hayat Shah and general secretary Bhaley Dino claimed that millions of rupees allocated for the barrage's maintenance had only been spent on paper and no such work had been done.

They appealed to President Gen Pervez Musharraf to order an inquiry whether any stone dumping had been done over the years.

They accused the officials of the barrage of inefficiency and corrupt practices and said due to wrong policies of the officials, the entire structure of the barrage had been endangered.

They said the Sindh chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim and the irrigation and Power Minister, Nadir Akmal Laghari, had given clear instructions that no officer would be given additional charge or acting charge but Aijaz Shaikh was holding the dual charge of executive engineer, Kotri Barrage, as well as the charge of assistant executive engineer of Shah Awais sub- division.

They said there were five pumping schemes in the Shah Awais sub-division for which a grant of tens of millions of rupees was given every year.

They said the condition of the pumping schemes was very dangerous.

They said a lot of silt had accumulated in the Kalri Baghar feeder which supply water to people of Karachi.

They said the government had taken notice of the fact and the excavation work of the feeder was given to the irrigation department.

They said the bed level of the feeder was not cleansed but only some silt was taken out from near embankments.

They said in this way tens of thousands of rupees had gone in the pocket of bureaucracy.

They said the superintending engineer of the Baghar circle and his subordinates were responsible for the alleged corrupt practices.

The CBA union leaders also accused the executive engineer, Aijaz Shaikh for supporting the non-CBA union which has no locus standi.

When contacted on telephone, the executive engineering of the Kotri barrage division, Aijaz Shaikh, refuted allegations levelled by the CBA union.

He said the CBA was trying to blackmail him as he had refused to give them plots in the irrigation colony and employment to their relatives.

He said in order to pressurize him, they often issue threats of strikes and union leaders never performed their duties.

He claimed no ditches have developed in the Kotri barrage headworks.