LARKANA, March 10: Terms and conditions are being finalised for acquisition of $400 million from the Asian Development Bank to repair flood-ravaged irrigation system and rehabilitate dislocated people.

Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said this to journalists while visiting the Akil-Aghani embankment on Thursday and brushed aside press information that the loan was being obtained on heavy interest.

The chief minister, on the request of Chief Engineer, directed the DPO Larkana to set up 10 police pickets for beefing up the security.

He said that the federal government stood its commitment of providing Rs5 billion for the repair and restoration of dykes and irrigation system when asked by a journalist. The provincial irrigation department prepared a plan of Rs14 billion and also briefed President and Prime Minister about it, he said. The Sindh government had spent Rs2.5 billion, only on the right bank of River Indus, and 33 per cent of the development sector allocation on the rehabilitation of people, he said. It may be noted here that the development budget was slashed by 33 per cent on account of flood damages.

The provincial authorities had released Rs1 billion which will be utilized in a transparent manner with the committee of technocrats keeping checks and balances on spending, he said.

He also informed that Saifullah Dharejo, Nadir Magsi and Dr Zulfikar Mirza were heading monitoring and supervising bodies.

He said that steps were being taken to restore the original 1500,000 cusec capacity of Sukkur barrage which was reduced to merely 900,000 because of the islands. However, during last year's flood it safely passed 1180,000 cusecs, a little short of the original.

He said that Turkey had committed to constructing 200 houses in Shikarpur with the hope that repair and rehabilitation work would complete before monsoon

To another question, he replied that the PPP and the MQM are a family and it was not surprising to see two brothers having differences on many things. Three years are gone and another two will also pass away as President Asif Zardari was following Benazir Bhutto's reconciliation policy, he said.

Chief Engineer asked the Chief Minister to provide them with more security so that work on the dyke could be completed in time. Chief Minister asked the DPO Larkana to establish 10 police pickets for enhanced security.

Sindh Law Minister Ayaz Soomro, Minister for local bodies Agha Siraj Durrani and others accompanied the Chief Minister.