DADU, Oct 30: Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Jatoi has said that federal government has approved installation of mega water pumping stations to irrigate thousands of acres of barren land in the neglected areas.

He added that the work on such water pumping stations had been initiated in several parts of Dadu district in the command areas of Rice and Dadu canals and would be completed in the current financial year.

The minister was speaking at a gathering of farmers at the ground breaking ceremony of the Soonhari pumping station at RD260 of the MNV Drain near Gozo town on Saturday.

He said that the Soonhari pumping station would be completed within two months at the cost of Rs36.8 million and would supply 120 cusecs of water to Begodero waterway. Thousand of acres of barren land in the Gozo, Satani Chandia, Kakar, Khanpur, Salari and Charo areas would be irrigated through the scheme, he added.

Mr Jatoi said the federal government had released Rs8 million to the irrigation department for installation of such pumping stations at different places of Dadu district. He said that transformers would be installed to ensure uninterrupted power supply at the water pumping stations.

He said that after the installation of water pumping stations, hundreds cusecs of water would be supplied to barren land as a result production of crops would increase.

Mr Jatoi claimed that after fair distribution of water, its shortage had been eradicated throughout Sindh and assured the farmers that a single drop of water would not be misused and distribution of water would be made in a judicious manner.

He said that water level in the Rice and Dadu canals was being maintained and irrigation officers had been directed to ensure judicious supply water to farmers.

He said that the federal ministry for water and power was going to provide electricity to neglected areas of the country and asked the people of such areas to contact the officials of the power supply companies.

He said that the Pakistan People's Party government had undertaken development work only in selected areas and neglected far flung areas of Sindh, NWFP, Punjab and Balochistan. He added that the PPP had received votes from the poor people but in return, it had not provided them basic facilities, which was their right.

Earlier, executive engineer of irrigation Habibullah Kaboro informed the gathering that 7,200 acres of land would be irrigated from the Soonhari pumping station.

Nazim of Sita Road union council Ali Mohammad Soomro, former MPA Naban Khan Lund and farmers' representatives also spoke on the occasion.

Later the federal minister inaugurated a road project in Khairpur Nathan Shah which is expected to be completed by December 2,005.