HYDERABAD, Nov 11: Sindh minister for food, agriculture and forests, Mr. Hassan Ali Chanhio has directed the officials of the food department to protect the wheat stocks lying in the godowns from insects and warned that no carelessness in this regard would be tolerated.

He was presiding over a meeting of the officials of the food department of Hyderabad and Mirpurkhas regions at circuit house Mirpurkhas on Saturday.

The meeting reviewed the wheat stock position and its distribution at district level.

Mr Chanhio urged that the wheat godowns must be fumigated to protect the wheat from insects.

He directed the district food controllers and food inspectors to maintain liaison with the growers of their areas and motivate them to cultivate maximum wheat.

He said that due to shortage of water, less wheat would be grown as compared to last year.

He said that in order to increase the per acre yield, the growers must straighten the watercourses and also concentrate on levelling fields.

Earlier, director food, Sindh, Mr Iqbal Ahmed Zubairi assured the minister that the wheat stock lying in the godowns of Mirpurkhas and Hyderabad regions was safe.

Meanwhile, the minister paid a surprise visit to the workshop of agriculture engineer Mirpurkhas and issued suspension orders of engineer Nadeem Hussain Memon who was found absent from duty.

He also suspended timekeeper Mohammad Ali for dereliction of duty and providing incorrect information.

Mr Chanhio instructed the director general of agriculture engineering Sindh to take disciplinary action against the absentees.

CHARGES DENIED: A noted social worker of Petaro, Umer Samoon has categorically denied the allegations levelled against him by Nawaz Khaskheli and Manzoor Samoon at a protest demonstration held here on Thursday.

Talking to Dawn here on Sunday, he said that some persons with dubious character at the behest of certain influential political people were trying to defame him.

He denied that he had destroyed any watercourse or set any bus on fire.

He said that he had established a dispensary, girls school and built roads in the village which had annoyed the influential people who were feeling jealous of him.