KHAIRPUR, Aug 21: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that 250,000 acres of government land will be distributed among poor people and 32,000 acres of it in Khairpur district.

He said houses and flats would be constructed for poor and homeless people so that their housing problem could be solved.

He was talking to delegations and journalists at the circuit house here on Thursday.

He said peasants would be advanced agricultural loans and the sprinkler irrigation system would be introduced in Sindh which would save irrigation water and more land would be brought under cultivation.

The chief minister said industrial zones would be established in every district where agro-based industries would be set up. He added that it would help strengthening the economy and would create employment opportunities in the province.

He said Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Youth Programme was being launched through which youngsters would be imparted technical training in various fields.

He said through a political strategy of People’s Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, the dictatorship had ended in the country.

He said that in his personal view Mr Asif Ali Zardari should become the president of the country.

He said appointment letters for teachers’ posts had been issued to 6,500 candidates who had cleared the IBA-conducted tests.

He said homeless people would be provided houses under a low-cost housing scheme but it would also be ensured that they were really the homeless and if after getting a house it was found that they had a house, strict action would be taken against them.

Mr Shah also visited a site of 200 acres of land allocated for construction of a housing scheme for the poorest of the poor and later gave the formal approval for the scheme.

He also visited the plot of 45 acres of land near Khairpur grid station which was proposed for the establishment of an industrial zone.

Our Sukkur correspondent adds: Talking to journalists at Sukkur airport on Wednesday, Mr Qaim Ali Shah ruled out any kind of ‘Talibanisation’ in Karachi and said that no trace was found of the militant movement in the city and he did not see any such thing in near future.

He said if one or two Taliban were present in a population of 15 million and 20 million people, than there was nothing to worry about it.

He said their party did not believe in political victimisation and cases against certain people were taken up on public complaints.

On a question about the restoration of deposed judges, the chief minister said that the matter would be decided in Islamabad and he was not aware of it.