HYDERABAD, April 8: Syed Ali Gohar Shah, chairman, Farmers Organizations Council, has rejected the demand of the Sindh Abadgar Board (SAB) for abolishing the Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (Sida).

In a rejoinder to the SAB issued here on Monday, he said the facts as mentioned by the SAB (Rs25 billion spent on Sida) were not correct, and added that the amount spent on the National Drainage Programme in Sindh is only Rs9 billion out of which almost Rs8 billion is spent on investment and development works to improve the irrigation and drainage infrastructure, including lining of watercourses and rehabilitation of canals.

He said less than Rs1 billion is spent on institutional reforms, and added that the expenditure on foreign consultancy will be well below Rs300 million. He said this is less than 4 per cent of the overall amount.

The FOC chairman expressed surprise that the Sida team had given an extensive briefing to the Sindh Abadgar Board in January 2003 and on that occasion the SAB had expressed satisfaction and assured its cooperation to Sida at different stages. This news was reflected in various leading newspapers.

Mr Shah maintained that under the National Drainage Programme, more than 16 development schemes had been completed on which Rs2.5 billion had been spent.

He said that under institutional reforms, more than 160 farmers’ organizations had been formed representing more than 100,000 farmers spread over three Area Water Board command areas in the districts of Mirpurkhas, Sanghar, Nawabshah, Badin, Hyderabad, Khairpur and Ghotki.

He said the number of farmers’ organizations is increasing rapidly, and added the Sida has provided an opportunity to farmers of Sindh in the decision-making process of irrigation and drainage management.