MITHI, Nov 7: Chief of the World Food Programme, Sindh, Aslam Khan, has said that Thar lacks healthcare, education, communication and potable water and it needs the attention of government and international donor agencies, who can initiate development projects for raising the living standard here.

Speaking as a guest of honour here at the launching of the “Food for work” project in Thar, Mr Khan noted that Thar was Pakistan’s most peaceful region and its peace loving and courageous poor people were accustomed to earning their bread and butter with dignity.

He said the project were being launched so that instead of waiting for aid, the people could earn their livelihood by working as labourers in the projects of constructing small tanks for storing rainwater, wells, ponds, hand-pumps, cottages, economy stoves and check dams, in their areas.

He said the World Food Organisation had sanctioned 16,650 water Tankas, each costing Rs640, 200 wells of Rs54,000 each, 1,650 economy stoves of Rs80 each, 750 ponds of Rs20,880 each, 230 hand pumps of Rs5,400 each, 640 thatched cottages of Rs4,800 each and three check dams of Rs496,800 each. The said the projects would be executed through Tharparkar Rural Development programme and Baanhn Beli.

He said the chief objective of the projects was to create assets for rural women, who would identify projects for 450 villages and 16,650 households would get benefit.

He said the organization was spending Rs43.4 million annually for safe motherhood project of Sindh health department in 100 basic health units in Dadu, Thatta, Badin, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas and Tharparkar.

He said the WFP intended to provide Rs193 million for Sindh Education Project, 1998 to 2003, under which students of 500 girls’ primary schools in Thatta, Dadu, Badin and Tharparkar districts were provided Ghee tins. About 70 schools of Thar were getting the facility, he added.