LARKANA: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that the provincial government will launch rehabilitation work of river dykes in a couple of days through its own resources.Talking to journalists at the Shaikh Zayed Colony ground here on Sunday at the closing ceremony of 22nd Shaheed Bhutto Cricket tournament, he said that he had requested Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani for funds and expressed the hope that the dykes would be strengthened before May.President Asif Ali Zardari had constituted a three-minister committee to see that the amount would be spent on dykes in a transparent manner, Mr Shah said.Commenting on a Unicef report about post-flood situation in Sindh, he said there was no shortage of food in the province because it had produced bumper crops of wheat, cotton and sugarcane.He said Sindh cabinet had decided exporting 250,000 tons of wheat. Answering a question about convening an all-parties conference on Karachi problem, he said that currently there was no need of holding APC, adding that important political parties should meet them and offer their proposals on the issue.Answering another question about Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain’s demand of creating new provinces, he said: “I think four provinces are enough and there is no need of any other province.”He avoided commenting on Altaf Hussain’s statement regarding revolution.The chief minister said the 18th Amendment passed unanimously by political parties had strengthened democracy. He announced a grant of Rs700,000 for developing the ground and awarded trophies to the winner team (Royal Cricket Club of Dadu) and runner up Al-Shahbaz Cricket Club of Larkana.Our Khairpur correspondent adds: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has said that the province has got a benefit of Rs20 billion through the seventh National Finance Commission Award of which Rs4 billion have been received.Speaking at a reception in Wada Machhiyoon on Sunday, he said that when the democracy was restored and the Pakistan People’s Party came into power, anti-democratic forces said that the government could last only for six months, but it had completed two years.
He said that the government had imparted technical training to 90,000 youth and many of them had also been provided jobs while others would get employment soon.He said that the unemployed youth could not get job during the dictatorship, however, the present government provided them jobs and also relaxed age limit for the government employment.He said that Pervez Musharraf wanted to extend his dictatorial rule, but due to political acumen of Benazir Bhutto, he was compelled to shed his uniform.He alleged that during the Musharraf’s rule, foreign loans were taken to satisfy personal needs of the rulers.He announced establishment of a post office, a library, a computer centre and a community centre there and gas supply for the area.Sindh Minister for Works and Communication Manzoor Hussain Wassan said that political orphans were habitual of criticising the PPP and the democratic government – Dawn
