MIRPURKHAS, March 29: A member of chief minister’s inspection team arrived here on Wednesday in the wake of complaints regarding issuance of bardana (wheat bags) to traders and flour mills by the in-charge of food godowns instead of the growers.

He visited food godowns in Mirpurkhas, Umerkot, Kot Ghulam Mohammad, Digri and Samaro along with the deputy director food Mirpurkhas region Fida Hussain Shaikh and checked the record.

Later, briefing the Member, the Deputy Director Food Mirpurkhas Region, Fida Hussain Shaikh said that the in-charge, Passco godown of the food department, Mocharo Mangrio, was involved in the issuance of 6000 wheat bags to traders and Chundija flour mill Mirpurkhas instead of the growers.

The Deputy Director Food told newsmen that he had appointed Assistant Controller Food Mir Ali Mohammad Talpur as in-charge SGG-I godown of Mirpurkhas, relieving inspector Mocharo Mangrio.

He has refused to hand over charge. He said that he issued show-cause notice for issuing 6000 bardana to traders and flour mills instead of handing over them to In-charge of godown SGG-I.

He said that District Food Controller Nazeer Memon has complained that Noor Mohammad Nohri, In-charge wheat procurement centre established at Otaq Nizamuddin, Jhuddo taluka, was involved in issuance of bardana to traders instead of wheat growers.

He said that he will take departmental action against him if official record proved the negligence.

WATERCOURSES: The General Manager Transition, Sindh Irrigation and Drainage Authority (SIDA), Aijaz Ahmed Qureshi, has said water channels are being rehabilitated in collaboration with farmers organizations which was yielding good results to ensure availability of water at tail-end growers. He said that chairmen of Farmer Organizations (FOs) has been asked to point out problems regarding water channels so that they could be resolved on priority basis and water losses could be avoided.

Speaking as chief guest at a seminar held here on Wednesday by the SIDA at a local hotel on the theme of “awareness on Sindh on Farm water management project and water improvement sector project WISP”, he said that with the cooperation of World Bank, Sindh On-Farm Water Management Project was going-on while another project of water improvement sector project—WISP— was being launched in Sindh to improve irrigation system at the tail-ends for the benefit of the growers.