DCO asks officers to carry out lining of watercourses

District Coordination Officer (DCO) Hyderabad, Aftab Ahmed Khatri has asked the officers to redouble efforts to achieve watercourses lining targets within the stipulated period.
He warned the concerned officers of cancellation of contract of their jobs in case of their failure while expressing dismay over the progress made so far, while presiding a review meeting in his office here the other day, a statement said on Monday.
DCO Aftab Khatri reminded that National Programme for Improvement of Watercourses (NPIW) has been launched with a view to meet the natural shortfall of irrigation water by saving from its seepage and to bring prosperity to the growers' community.
He said in view of the importance of this programme, the federal and provincial governments are giving top priority to its timely completion, therefore, negligence in its implementation would not be tolerated.
He said during financial year 2007-2008, the lining of 80 watercourses has been targeted for Hyderabad district and according to him it was not a big task to accomplish within the stipulated period of June 2008.
He directed the EDO Agriculture not only to get periodic performance assessment of the staff concerned but also to ensure physical verification/monitoring of works in the field. He directed the EDO Finance and Planning Hyderabad to arrange internal audit of the expenditure incurred on this project and said in future all payment to the NPIWC staff be made through crossed cheques.
The DCO also strictly directed the officers of Social Mobilisation Unit of the project to gear up efforts and motivate the growers for getting their water courses lined in their own interest.
He also called for arranging farmers days and field days for greater awareness and direct contact with the growers. Khatri also directed the officers of field teams and the Mukhtiarkar Taluka Hyderabad to get the government money recovered from the farmers' organisations to whom payments were made but they were not willing to line their water courses. He said efficient officers would be rewarded while officers found negligent would not be spared.
The EDO Agriculture Shuhabuddin Siddiqui, EDO Finance and Planning Javaid Junejo, Field Officers of the project, the officers from Irrigation Department and Mukhtiarkar Taluka Hyderabad (Revenue) attended the meeting.