Sindh Minister for Information and Local Bodies Sharjeel Memon said here on Monday that Sidh government has declared Kohistan and Tharparkar as drought-hit areas and the affected people of these areas would be provided free wheat. Talking to media at his office along with PDMA Director General Syed Salman Shah, the minister said that the decision was taken during a special meeting of Sindh Cabinet at Bilawal House on Sunday.
The meeting also approved establishment of Kohistan Development Authority, similar to that of Thar Development Authority. He said that the government had also decided to provide hand pumps, reverse osmosis (RO) plants and solar energy equipments in the area. The solar energy devices will be provided to schools and households for uninterrupted power supply in the drought-hit areas, he said, adding that the decision to provide solar system was taken as the provincial government could not set-up electricity plants in the area as it fell under federal government and they had been doing nothing for the people of Sindh.
He said that Nawaz-led PML-N government was inaugurating projects without considering their feasibility and claimed that a recently inaugurated power plant project at Gadani has been wounded up due to its non-feasibility. Investors have refused to invest in the power project at Gadani, but they were ready to invest in power project proposed by PPP at Ketty Bandar, he said.
He said that PDMA has been directed to start relief activities in the drought-hit areas. "We are taking special care for women and children health in drought-hit areas and health ministry has dispatched doctors in these areas," he said. The minister said that the provincial government would not leave the affected people alone and would continue to serve them as they had been serving them during last three years, which witnessed destruction from droughts and floods. Referring to current political situation, he said that the PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari's meeting with Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif in Lahore was aimed at strengthening democracy and the party assured the prime minister that they did not want to take advantage of the current crisis.