MIRPURKHAS, Oct 7: Lining of water courses, under the national programme for improvement of watercourses in the district, is being adversely affected due to the high price of bricks. If the situation continues it would not be possible to achieve the target of lining 200 watercourses in the district.
According to this project, growers were providing only labour, while the government was bearing expenses.
A report said that lining of 37 watercourses was to be completed during the current year but farmers were avoiding to take approved amount for purchasing bricks as rates of the bricks were high in the market and this has caused delay in the work.
The report added that about six months back on behalf of authorities, use of parabolic (cemented slab) was banned in lining work of watercourses and use of bricks was directed.
There was a big difference of labour charges in use of parabolic and brick as Rs200 was labour expenses of one metre work of bricks while Rs30 of one metre work of parabolic at watercourses.
The approved amount was Rs1800 per thousand bricks but bricks in the local market were available at Rs3600.
Farmers said that use of parabolic was better and cheap than the bricks in the lining work. District Mirpurkhas had acquired top position last year in achieving the target of lining of watercourses.
When contacted Mohammed Umer Karim, district officer of national programme for improvement of watercourses admitted that due to high rate of bricks in local market abadgars were avoiding to get the approved amount of the bricks which was lower than market rate.
He said that use of parabolic in lining work of the watercourses was banned by programme monitoring unit. The parabolic were being manufactured by different companies but only a few of them were registered while their quality was questioned by the programme monitoring unit.
He further said that in such condition target of current year to achieve 200 lining of watercourses of the district was delayed and this problem could be solved if the authorities revised the rate of bricks or the brick kiln owners reduced the rate to Rs1800 per thousand.
ALLEGATION: Some residents of Nawab Farm, deh 104, taluka Hussain Bux Mari, have accused a government contractor for trying to occupy their houses with the help of patharidars of the area.
Arz Mohammed Brohi, Qalandar Bux Ujjan, Dost Mohammed Brohi and Mohammed Hashim Ujjan told reporters at a press conference here on Sunday, that they were residing at Nawab Farm since long time and working as peasant in the area.
They said that the contractor had lodged false case with Old Mirpur police against them.
They alleged that the contractor and patharidars were issuing threats of dire consequences. They also said that Old Mirpur police were also disturbing them, and in this regard they had also submitted an application to the DPO but no action was taken yet.They demanded of the Chief Justice, President General Pervez Musharraf, Sindh Chief Minister, PPO, RPO Hyderabad region, DIG Mirpurkhas, Zila Nazim Mirpurkhas and DPO Mirpurkhas to take immediate notice of the this matter, ensure registration of their case against the said contractor and patharidars and provide them protection.