HYDERABAD, Aug 19: The Sindh Agriculture Department will form core groups on important crops for development of production technologies and increasing productivity. This was decided at a meeting held at the Sindh Seed Corporation office on Wednesday.

Sindh agriculture secretary Nazar Hussain Mahar presided over the meeting.

The secretary stressed the need for creating public private partnerships in various ventures and activities of the agriculture department.

Earlier in the morning, a meeting was held in Karachi in which the secretary directed that all farm machinery available with the department be repaired and refurbished for use of farmers and all agriculture workshops be upgraded for the benefit of farming community.

Four high-level monitoring committees were constituted to oversee pace and quality of watercourses lining and improvement programme.

The meeting was told that about 400 watercourses have so far been lined and pace of work would be accelerated during the current financial year.

The secretary directed to promote less water consumptive desert crops and saline water crops with an objective of lessening poverty in such areas.

HESCO: The Hyderabad Electric Supply Company has clarified that reports about waiver of 80 per cent detection bills are incorrect adding that only those detection bills were waived which were found incorrect after inquiry.

In a statement issued here on Wednesday, a Hesco spokesman said it was declared policy of the company that those consumers whose power supply had been disconnected five years back, could get their connections restored by paying 50 per cent of total dues.

He said the remaining 50 per cent in such cases would be waived.

He said director commercial after seeking approval from the chief engineer and chief executive officer of the company issued such instructions to circles concerned.

He said it was wrong to assume that 80 per cent of outstanding dues of defaulters were being waived.

He said 50 per cent concession rule was applicable only in those cases where 5-year-old defaulters pay 50 per cent of total dues to get their connection restored.

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