HYDERABAD, March 7: The Sindh Abadgar Board has painted a gloomy picture of the rural economy of Sindh and said that according to a World Bank report, economic conditions in Sindh today are worse than in 1947.

The board at its working committee meeting held here on Monday observed that the government concentrated only on Karachi as far as development in the province was concerned.

It expressed apprehensions that if proper attention was not paid to agricultural economy, maintenance of law and order, good governance and infrastructure, rural Sindh would be destroyed.

The meeting, presided over by Abdul Majeed Nizamani, pointed out that 90 per cent of rural Sindh depended on agriculture and this sector was closely linked with irrigation and the Board of Revenue.

It noted that employment was not being provided on the basis of merit for many years, thousands of workers of sugar industry had been rendered jobless due to introduction of the contract system, development work had been suspended, government organizations had been paralysed and lawlessness and corruption had become common in the province. It observed that 80 per cent of the population was extremely poor and health and education sectors were in deplorable condition.

The board demanded that in the larger interest of the nation, no officer of any department, especially irrigation, agriculture and revenue, should be transferred on political basis, personal ego and bribe.

It said the irrigation system should be remodelled, watercourses should be improved and the culture of water theft, rotation programme and encroachments should be brought to an end.

The meeting said that to ensure water supply to tail-end growers, a daily water measurement report of every channel at the tail-end should be submitted to the chief engineer.

It called for effective working of agriculture extension and research departments and transfer of relevant information, especially about scientific and optimum use of water, and new technology to growers.

It said that all watercourses should be lined and 5,000 tube-wells, which were to be installed 10 years ago, should be installed without further delay.

The meeting sarcastically said that vegetable markets of Karachi and other towns had become ‘pastures’ of bureaucrats and politicians and demanded that 30 per cent of shops in the vegetable markets, which was the share of growers, should be given to them without delay.

It proposed that instead of Karachi, a textile city should be established either in Moro, Dadu or Jamshoro.

The board demanded that the agriculture ministry should be separated from the commerce ministry and growers should be given representation on the agriculture planning board, Pakistan Trade Development Authority, Railway Board, Pakistan Oilseed Development Board, Wapda, agro-related foreign joint venture committees and fertilizers and pesticides boards.

It accused exporters and importers of creating crisis of sugar, rice and chillies.