DADU, Dec 25: Federal Minister for Water and Power Liaquat Jatoi has said that power tariff will not be reduced because furnace oil and other material are expensive.

He was talking to reporters at the residence of Pakistan Muslim League leader Ahmed Khan Lund in Naban Khan Lund village near here on Saturday.

He said that it had been decided that the power tariff would neither be decreased nor increased.

He said that the Thar coal project will generate job opportunities for the local people.

He said that the Nai Gaj dam project had been approved by the cabinet, it would cost Rs66 million and cultivate thousands of acres of barren land in the Kachho area of Dadu district. He said that the ground breaking ceremony of the dam would be held in the first week of January.

Mr Jatoi said that the province was facing a natural water shortage because the water level was low in Mangla and Tarbela dams. He said that the water level would not improve in the dams because the country was not receiving rain.

He said that the irrigation officials were not distributing irrigation water in a proper way and added that committees would be constituted and raids would be conducted on waterways to control water theft.

He directed SP (investigation) Tipu Sultan, and the superintending engineer (irrigation) to conduct raids at different parts of Dadu and Rice canals and Johi branch. He said that if any official was found involved in water theft, an FIR should be lodged against him.

About the Kalabagh Dam, he said that budget for it had been allocated by a PPP government in the past but now the party was opposing it.

On the uniform issue, he said that no country was ready to support and give loan to Pakistan when it had only $300 million foreign exchange and it was difficult to run the government. But as soon as President Gen Pervez Musharraf took over the charge of the country, the reserves increased and Pakistan started providing financial assistance to Afghanistan.

He said that the president was the need of the country and his uniform was also necessary for the welfare of the people.

He said that the opposition leaders were spreading rumours that general elections would be held in 2005 though the elections would be held in 2007. He said that in the next election of local bodies, the district nazim seats would be won by his supporters in Dadu and Jamshoro districts.

Answering a question, he said that he would ask Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to direct the BHP oil and gas exploration company to undertake school, road, water supply and health projects in the Dadu area where it was working.

He announced that at a cost of Rs45 million, roads would be constructed and at a cost of Rs10 million, wells would be sunk in Kachho for supplying water to people.

On the occasion, MPA Dr Manzoor Leghari, DCO Alamuddin Bullo and others were present.