HYDERABAD, May 11: Distribution of subsidised wheat in Tharparkar has not begun yet despite the fact the district was declared a calamity-affected area by the Sindh relief commissioner in November last year.

Other components of the relief package such as payment of Zakat and Baitul Maal money to affected people have also not been executed.

In the light of a report of the DCO of Tharparkar on Nov 21, 2005, the relief commissioner had declared the district, except for seven Dehs of barrage areas, a calamity-hit area. The report had urged the government to suspend recovery of revenue dues in the area and initiate relief measures.

Reliable revenue ministry sources told Dawn on Thursday that recovery of revenue dues had been suspended for Kharif season in Tharparkar.

Sources said distribution of 400,000 bags containing 4,000 metric tons of wheat had been approved and finance and food ministries had been accordingly informed.

To ensure availability of subsidised wheat, the government will bear 50 per cent of the cost of wheat and the remaining will be borne by affected families.

The relief commissioner had also recommended that Rs1,000 should be paid to each Muslim family from the Zakat fund and the minority community should be compensated from the Baitul Mal fund.

However, payment of these funds has not been started for inexplicable reasons.

Earlier, the Tharparkar DCO had requested the government to declare the district a calamity-affected region in November 2004 and it had been done.

Eighty per cent people in the district, spread over 20,758 square kilometres, live below the poverty line. Agriculture and livestock are the main economic sources in the region where a majority of people belong to the minority community.

During the severe drought in 1999-2000, 129 deaths were officially confirmed by the then district health officer. Newspapers had reported more deaths. The same year, the number of tuberculosis patients was put at 10,000 by a senior officer of an army medical team.

A revenue ministry source said 182,807 families in the region were to be provided with subsidised wheat and paid Zakat and Baitul Maal funds.

“The secretary for the Sindh Zakat and Ushr department has been accordingly informed by our department but a recent communication from the Zakat department revealed that payment of Zakat was to be approved by the Federal Zakat Council,” the source said, adding that no one knew when the council would approve it.

The revenue ministry has, however, been informed that funds of Baitul Mal have been increased by 25 per cent to meet requirements of affected minority families.

“Distribution of wheat and payment of Zakat or Baitul Mal funds has not yet begun,” confirmed DCO Jam Asadullah Dharejo.

He told Dawn on telephone from Karachi that wheat distribution for 2005 had been completed and he had learnt that wheat procurement for 2005-2006 season had been completed.

He said one household would be provided with 100 kilograms of subsidised wheat.

A food department official of the Mirpurkhas division said distribution of around 1,500 to 1,600 wheat bags of 2004 in the Tharparkar district remained pending and procurement of wheat for the 2005 drought was being done.

He said the target of wheat bags for the Mirpurkhas division was around 1.4 million and 30,000 to 35,000 bags were yet to be procured. Thereafter, he said, wheat distribution on subsidised rates would begin in Tharparkar.

It is also learnt that the livestock department had sought release of Rs16 million for vaccination of livestock in Tharparkar but it has not been done.

INQUIRY DEMANDED: A sub-accountant in the district accounts office has appealed to the chief minister and other authorities to order an inquiry into publication of a pamphlet purported to have been written by him.