HYDERABAD, April 6 The activists of the Save Tando Mohammad Khan District Action Committee, including a large number of women, held a demonstration outside the press club in Tando Mohammad Khan on Tuesday to protest against possible reversion of Tando Mohammad Khan to its old status of a taluka of Hyderabad district.

Speaking on the occasion, the action committee convener Abdul Hakeem Memon and leaders Farooq Sidd- iqi, Shabana Chandio and Rahila Khaskheli said that they would not allow abolition of Tando Mohammad Khan district.

They said that after the creation of the district, massive development had been carried out in the district, problems of the people have been solved at their doorsteps and more jobs had been created for the youth. They said that educational and health facilities had also been upgraded. Everything would be lost if TM Khan was reverted to its old status of a taluka, they said.

They criticised the elected representatives of the area for maintaining silence on this crucial issue. They warned of resisting any move to downgrade the status of TM Khan.

The district was carved out of Hyderabad during

Arbab Ghulam Rahim-led Sindh government.

Meanwhile, a large number of people of Tando Ghulam Hyder also held a demonstration on the main road to protest against the proposed break-up of the taluka and its inclusion in Badin district. They raised slogans against the proposed move.

Speaking on the occasion, former taluka nazim Ghulam Murtaza Chandio said that a conspiracy was afoot to separate the taluka from Tando Mohammad Khan district and merge it with Badin district.

He said the people of Tando Ghulam Hyder taluka would resist this conspiracy as the area was an integral part of the Tando Mohammad Khan.

Schemes approved The District Development Committee of Hyderabad has approved six development schemes at total cost of Rs152.672 million proposed under the Sindh chief minister's directives and MPAs' priority programme.

At a meeting held under the chairmanship of administrator and DCO Hyderabad Aftab Ahmed Khatri here on Tuesday, the committee discussed feasibilities of these schemes and approved them for execution.

The schemes included upgradation of Basic Health Unit (BHU) Norai Sharif, Seri union council, Hyderabad rural taluka, into “A” type rural health centre at a cost of Rs37.804 million; upgradation of the dispensary in Mehrab Solangi, Seri UC, to BHU at an expenditure of Rs9.792 million, construction of BHU in Tando Hyder, Seri UC, at an estimated cost of Rs12.720 million, upgradation of Rural Health Centre, Tandojam, into taluka hospital at a cost of Rs81.434 million and a community centre in Norai Sharif at a cost of Rs10.396 million, proposed by MPA Syed Mohsin Ali Shah.

The committee deferred decision about four other development schemes proposed by public representatives and OGDCL for getting feedback from the departments concerned.

Mr Khatri directed the officers to remain in touch with the departments to examine and evaluate the feasibilities of the deferred schemes and submit report to the committee in the shortest possible time.

He directed the officers of the executing agencies for timely completion of the schemes with standard work.

He said that the district government was giving top priority to the development schemes proposed by public representative because such schemes reflect the genuine demands of the people.