HYDERABAD, Nov 1: The executive engineer, Nasir division, responding to a protest demonstration by growers of the Bilori Minor, has said that the minor, which begins from the tail of the Gothano-I distributary at RD-25, is inadequate as it is only four RDs long.

He further said that there was silt in both the channels which, sometimes, reduced the level of water at the tail end. To remedy the problem, a special de-silting programme had been formulated which was to be executed during the coming closure of the canals, he added.

In a statement faxed to Dawn on Saturday, he alleged that Khatedars at the head reach of the channels were politically influential and were involved in tampering their outlets. Although complaints had been sent to relevant police stations in this regard, the police had simply failed to lodge an FIR, the XEN complained.

As far as involvement of the lower formation in the tempering of outlets was concerned, action had been taken against them by suspending them to face departmental inquiry, he said.

The irrigation department, he said, was already making efforts to redress the grievances of the complainants and added that the waterways of the channels were being taken care of and special staff from other subdivisions was being deployed to control the theft of water.

He further said that a committee comprising irrigation officers and tail end Khatedars had been constituted to ensure the supply of water to all of the Khatedars as per specifications.

The XEN, however, pointed out that the protest by the Khatedars of the minor was basically for the construction of a separate head regulator for the minor directed from the Rohri Main Canal at RD-995.

The matter, however, needed to be contemplated at the highest level and was under consideration by the Sindh government, he said.

DEMO: Activists of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) held a protest demonstration outside the Hyderabad Press Club on Saturday against the arrest of the acting president of the party and president of the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy, Javed Hashmi.

They were led by provincial leaders, Afzal Gujjar and Sardar Rafique Lodhi, and the provincial president of the Muslim Students Federation, Roshan Baloch.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Gujjar claimed that the government of President Gen Pervez Musharraf had imposed marshal law in the country through the Legal Framework Order which was totally unconstitutional.

He said the arrest of Mr Hashmi had proved that the rulers were not sure of their ground. He also demanded immediate release of the ARD president.

Mr Baloch, on his part, said that the generals had created innumerous problems for the people.