SANGHAR, May 19: Sindh Chief Minister Ali Mohammad Mahar has said the biggest problem confronting the province is the deteriorating standard of education.

He was addressing a public meeting here on Monday.

The chief minister announced that an information technology department would be established in the boys college of Sanghar. He called upon the people to take advantage of the free primary education scheme, announced by the government.

He also announced that the Sanghar Civil Hospital would be upgraded, drainage schemes costing Rs13 million would be executed in Khipro and six digital telephone exchanges and a fire brigade would be provided to the district.

He said construction of a road from the Jamrao head to Khairpur would be included in the scheme of the Asian Development Bank.

Mr Mahar said 100 villages would soon be provided with electricity and tube-wells, promised by Prime Minister Mir Zafrullah Khan Jamali during his visit to the district a few months ago.

He said Rs5 million each would be provided to MPAs for carrying out development schemes in their respective areas and Rs850 million had been earmarked for this purpose.

The chief minister said 706 suspended doctors of the province had been reinstated and 385 ASIs, who were dismissed during the Pakistan People’s Party government, would be considered for re-employment. He said jobs would be provided to 25,000 people in July.

District Nazim Roshan Din Junejo and some MNAs and MPAs were also present on the occasion.

Later, the chief minister visited Tando Adam where he inaugurated an overhead railway crossing on the Shahdadpur Road.

He also promised a fire brigade to Tando Adam and announced Rs100,000 for the local press club.

The chief minister later attended a luncheon hosted by the district Nazim in the Sajar Khan Junejo village .

FIRE: A woman was killed, five persons received burn injuries and six houses were gutted in a village near Lundo, some 50 kilometres off here, on Sunday.

Ms Mirzadi, 80, Ms Nazan, Ms Hakima, Kamal, Salik and Ali Mohammad received burn injuries when fire broke out in the Rasool Bux Zardari village and engulfed six houses.

The injured were taken to a local hospital where Ms Mirzadi died.

People from nearby villages rushed to the spot and extinguished the fire.

Six goats, wheat, golden ornaments, cash and other valuables were reduced to ashes.