HYDERABAD, Feb 23: District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman has said the district government will distribute 2,775 free sewing machines among skilled and deserving women to enable them to earn their livelihood by working in their homes.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of the first phase of the plan at the district nazim's secretariat on Tuesday, he said the project was aimed at alleviating poverty by generating income opportunities.

He said sewing machines could be distributed either to individuals or functional industrial homes which were working for poverty reduction. He said 1,007 sewing machines were being handed over to woman councillors and labour councillors of the Hyderabad District Council for distribution among women in the first phase. He added that the remaining 1,768 machines would be distributed in the second phase within a month.

He said in addition to this, a programme to distribute 60 cycles among needy people in two phases had also been chalked out. He said 25 cycles were handed over to labour councillor Rana Mehmood Ali today and 35 more cycles would be distributed through labour councillor Ghulam Hyder Khoso in the second phase.

Dr Rafiquzzaman said the district government also planned to install 178 hand pumps through the public health engineering department in villages where residents lacked drinking water facilities.