HYDERABAD, Aug 7: Below par performance of the National Database and Registration Authority, remodelling of the Rohri Canal and de-zoning of sugar mills remained the focus of attention at a session of the district council here on Thursday.
Since Miran Mohammad Shah was presiding over the session, he allowed Rana Mehmood Ali Khan to read his resolution about the Rohri Canal.
The resolution demanded that Sindh government should remodel the canal which emanated from the Sukkur Barrage and ran parallel to the River Indus.
It said the canal had not been maintained properly for the last several years, leading to several breaches and losses to standing crops.
It called for strengthening embankments of the canal so that supply of water could be ensured to its tail-end. It alleged that irrigation officials had misappropriated the fund released for the purpose.
Abdul Qadeer Qazi, Rana Ali Mohammad Shah and Mehmood Ali Khan said breaches in the canal could not be ruled out if its embankments were not strengthened.
They said the canal was dug in 1932 but since then neither it was lined nor remodelled though it irrigated 2.6 million acres.
In his resolution which was unanimously adopted by the council, Dr Ayaz Arain said the people faced great inconvenience in getting forms for computerized national identity cards attested in presence of two non-elected people through the police and submitting the same at NADRA offices. He said on the average a common man had to spend Rs110 for filling forms.
He appealed to the interior minister to hold an inquiry as to why union council Nazims were restrained from attesting forms.
He alleged that NADRA agents demanded gratification from people for issuing them CNICs.
Mohammad Yusuf Qureshi proposed some amendments which were incorporated in the resolution.
He said centres of receipt of forms and distribution of CNICs should be set up in each taluka and educated jobless youth should be employed there.
Abdul Qadeer Qazi raised the issue of de-zoning of sugar mills in his resolution, saying sugar mills had been crying hoarse that zones should be created for mills instead of open markets.
The council passed the resolution that appealed to the government not to create zones for sugar mills.
Mr Qazi said sugar mills had to pay 7.5 per cent quality premium and they owed Rs3.2 billion to growers.
Supporting Mr Qazi, Azizullah Memon said Rs70 million was outstanding against the Mehran Sugar Mills.
A resolution demanding provision of water at tail-end areas was also adopted by the council. The resolution was moved by Ghulam Hussain Khoso.
The resolution of Mohammad Khan Zanur, demanding removal of the assistant district education officer of Tando Mohammad Khan, was also passed.
INQUIRY: The presiding officer of the district council, Miran Mohammad Shah, here on Thursday appointed a committee to inquire into the incident in which a member of the council, Mustafa Chandio, was humiliated by a distributor of NADRA, Mr Mughairi.
The committee was appointed after Mustafa Chandio informed the council that he was mistreated when he went to the NADRA office for his CNIC.
There was a difference of opinion in the council about appointment of the committee as some of the members called for passing a resolution.
An out-of-turn resolution was moved by Mr Khan, seeking dismissal of the NADRA distributor.