THATTA, Sept 23: Sindh Governor Mohammedmian Soomro has announced a grant of Rs60 million for development of Thatta district, which, he said, may be considered an instalment for the purpose.

Addressing a public gathering here at Makli on Monday, he promised a play-land, an amusement park and other recreational facilities for the people of the district.

The governor said no government in the past had allocated such a huge amount for development schemes in the tail-end district of Thatta and the credit for it went to provincial Irrigation Minister Aijaz Ali Shah Shirazi and the district Nazim Shafqat Hussain Shah Shirazi.

He said his government had also put the sugar cess funds at the disposal of the Thatta district government to help it execute more development schemes.

Soomro said the unmatched services of the Shirazi brothers and former Sindh irrigation minister Ali Mir Shah had resulted in withdrawal of a project, aimed at discharging polluted water into the Indus downstream Kotri and diverting it to the ocean directly through the Right Bank Outfall Drainage, thus saving the people from epidemics and land from ruination.

He said the feasibility of a comprehensive plan to erect an embankment throughout the coastline was under study, to protect Thatta and Badin land from further inundation due to constant the sea intrusion into the area.

Responding to the demands of the district Nazim, he pledged to provide gas to Mirpur Bathoro town, declare Sujawal a calamity-hit area and extend the date of relief package for the defaulters of Agriculture Development Bank of Pakistan.

The governor said his government was taking measure to prepare gas from coal of Thar by the use of modern technology.

He said Pakistan was becoming self-sufficient in natural gas and making all-out efforts to explore more mineral resources.

He ordered erection of net doors at the outlets of Keenjhar Lake to protect fish breeding.

About the retrenchment of the employees of Shah Murad Sugar Mills, the governor promised to talk to the management of the mill.

He said the construction of Rs14 billion project, the Reni canal, would bring about development in the area to be irrigated by it.