HYDERABAD, Aug 5: Speakers at the district council session here on Tuesday demanded that the government should waive off farm loans and grant new loans to rain-affected growers while they also called for expediting relief operation.

They criticized civic and irrigation authorities of Sindh for their failure in adopting precautionary measures ahead of monsoon rains and added that had the measures been taken, the massive devastations would not have taken place.

Proceedings of the district council session began three hours late at 1 pm when Abdul Qadeer Qazi resumed the debate on the situation arising out of the rains.

He said that the Bhanote Bund had weakened because the irrigation authorities did not ease the pressure of water on right bank of the River Indus under the plea to save populated areas and added that such situation was created to earn money in the name of emergency situation.

Lamenting that resolutions of the district council were not implemented or responded to, he said that it was due to ill planning of government departments with the result that people were facing hardships and rain and gutter water was not being drained out.

He regretted that while Okara district was given Rs80 million Hyderabad district was given only Rs20 million for relief and infrastructure repair which indicated disparity on the part of the central government.

Mr Qazi came hard on Hyderabad Development Authority for being passive and also on the animal husbandry hospital.

He urged the council members to recommend that farm loans should be waived off to give relief to the growers and added that each union council should be given two hand pumps.

He said that while Hyderabad Electric Supply Company performed well in the city, its performance remained below par in the rural areas.

In his resolution, Rana Mehmood Ali Khan called upon the government to declare entire Sindh a calamity-hit area and said that the army should distribute relief goods as the taluka municipal administrations were untrustworthy.

Recounting losses caused by the rains and canal breaches in the shape of loss human and cattle lives, Mr Khan criticized the Water and Sanitation Agency but praised Hesco for ensuring regular power supply.

Regretting that rain-affected people were not being looked after properly, he demanded compensation for those who died in the rains and proper care of rain victims in relief camps.

Saleem Khan, whose union council includes Pucca Qila area, raised the issue of those people living on or near the wall of the fort thus endangering their lives.

He condemned those who were politicizing the issue and creating law and order by exploiting the situation.

He said that Pucca Qila people should be rehabilitated immediately in order to avoid casualties.

Aijaz Shah and Mustafa Chandio drew the attention of the session to Tando Mohammad Khan taluka, saying poor conditions were prevailing in those UCs of the taluka which were located along Badin and Thatta districts.

They added that loan recoveries were being made by the Zarai Taraqyati Bank Limited though the farmers had borne losses due to the rains.

The session was adjourned till Wednesday.