LARKANA, Oct 29: People hailing from different areas of Larkana division have started filing their objections to lists of delimitations displayed at the deputy commissioners’ offices.

Talking to Dawn on Tuesday, Ameer Ali Meerani, assistant commissioner (general) and the focal person for receiving objections, said he would receive appeals and objections till Nov 1 and the cases would be decided by the commissioner within a week.

Most complaints were related to the break-up of dehs and missing villages while constituting union councils (UCs) (in villages), union committees (in cities), town committees and wards, sources said.

Ali Gohar Baloch said that the UC of Kothi, comprising nine dehs with a population of 29,000, should be divided into two. The present criterion for forming a UC or union committee was to form it with a population of 10,000 to 15,000, he said.

Altaf Malgani, acting president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional, Larkana district, and Asghar Abbasi alleged that the bifurcation was made only to suit PPP candidates in the coming local bodies elections. He said the PML-F enjoyed support in Ratokot UC and to dent its popularity, Talbani deh was dissociated from it and annexed to Rasheed Wagan UC.

Similarly, Dadano deh of Phull UC (Larkana taluka) was included in the limits of Mahar-Wada UC of Bakrani taluka. This kind of massive delimitations would severely harm interests of local people, they said.

Mushtaque Sargani, a resident of Dokri, said Qaboolo deh, which was previously part of Yaro Lakhir UC, had now been included in Nari Lashari UC situated far away from the old UC. Imam Ali Jalbani, a primary schoolteacher and resident of Benazir Colony in Dokri, said annexing that colony with Wakro UC far from the colony was quite uncalled for.

Sources said the names of three villages — Shah Abad, Rellan and Rasool Bakhsh Shaikh — were missing from Nazar UC. Villages of Gul Muhammed Jatoi, Ali Hassan Jatoi and Sobdar Sagrani of Sanhri and Jadam Kalhoro dehs were not mentioned in Yaro Lakhir UC as they had been part of that UC. They said safe pockets were created only to favour the ruling PPP.

On Tuesday the focal person received 12 objections to the fresh delimitation lists.

Ayaz Mangi of Mithodero village objected to detaching Mithodero deh from Bero Chandio UC and including it in Ratokot UC. He called for restoring its previous position. Qazi Manzoor of Dokri town said that instead of keeping the previous status of eight wards, the number of wards had been reduced to five, which he termed unjust and demanded restoring the status of the wards.

Abdul Hameed Abro of Baqapur village objected to the inclusion of the village of Naich UC, which should be made part of Baqapur UC instead. Mashooque Tatri of Tatri village and Abdul Hameed Jessar, former nazim of Mehrabpur UC, said their UCs had brutally been broken into pieces and included in different neighbouring UCs. This kind of unlawful division and formulating new UCs would have a drastic negative impact on the population. They said the dehs of Ghanghro, Mirzani and Budhodero were torn off and their territories were made part of other UCs. They called for restoring their previous status.

Naib Hussain Umrani of Kothi UC said that Nangar Umrani village was not included in any UC. He said after locating the missing village it should be added to Kothi UC. Shahabuddin Khoso, a resident of Thul, said two dehs — Burira and Kandrani — which were previously part of Bachhiro UC had now been included in Jhangowah UC. He demanded its restoration to the previous position. Faqeer Muhammed Tunio, president of the PML-N, Warah, said two localities — Khan Muhammed Tunio and Tunia Mohalla — had been merged with Ward-2. Its population had swelled, which should reasonably be divided into two separate wards, he said.

Munwar Kalhoro, objecting to the inclusion of Nawab Kalhoro deh in Warah UC, said it should be added to Abad deh, whose part it had been. The change of position would severely disturb the population, he said. Khair Muhammed Bughio, a resident of Bughia locality (Warah), said that the locality had simultaneously been made part of Ward-7 and Ward-8, which was quite inconvenient for the residents. This should better be included in Ward-7, he said.

The commissioner would hear objections from Nov 2 to 8 in the presence of the deputy commissioners concerned, said the focal person, adding that till Nov 1 objections regarding delimitations would be received.