DADU, Feb 16: The Dadu taluka council at a session here on Thursday passed its annual budget of Rs99.758 million for 2005-06. Taluka Naib Nazim Murad Ali Shah presided over the meeting and Taluka Nazim Naban Khan Lund presented the budget.

According to statistics, total income of the taluka would be Rs99.758 million while expenses would be Rs99.522 million.

Hence there would be a surplus amount of Rs236,100.

Total grant for development was Rs7 million while grant from the Asian Development Bank was Rs5.145 million.

The taluka nazim said a shopping centre at a cost of Rs7 million would be constructed at the Dadu municipal stadium.

He said that from the annual development programme Rs2 million were allocated for CC blocks, Rs7 million for ongoing schemes, Rs500,000 for maintenance of municipal building and Rs15 million for new schemes.

WATER SHORTAGE: Sindh irrigation secretary Shuja Ahmed Junejo took serious notice of shortage of irrigation water in Pahore and Patoro waterways of the Johi taluka and suspended sub-engineer Abdul Karim Babar and Darogha Ghulam Rasool on Thursday.

He transferred southern Dadu division irrigation executive engineer Mohammad Mithal Abbasi.

The secretary posted Shafqat Hussain Wadhio as executive engineer of the southern Dadu division.

Secretary Shuja Junejo said that supply of water to tail-end growers should be top priority of the government and stern action would be taken against an official found guilty.

Earlier, growers of Pahore and Patoro waterways, Mehar Gadhi and Mohammad Urs, staged a demonstration at Chhandan Mori at Johi link road against shortage of water.

SUICIDE: A woman, Razia Khatoon, 30, committed suicide by hanging herself with a rope in her house over matrimonial dispute in Aliabad Mohalla of Mehar on Thursday.