MITHI, July 15: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah said on Sunday that two colleges would be set up in Tharparkar and more doctors would be provided to government hospitals in the district.

He was talking to legislators and PPP activists after presiding over a meting of the Sindh cabinet at Darbar hall here.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers Syed Murad Ali Shah, Syed Ali Mardan Shah, Muzaffar Shujra, Agha Siraj Durrani, Mir Nadir Ali Magsi, Sharjil Inam Memon, Ayaz Soomro and Mukesh Kumar Chawla and secretaries of different departments.

Work on Thar coal project and development projects in Tharparkar district was discussed at the meeting.

The chief minister told reporters that two foreign companies had started work on the Thar coal project. He said that a coal-fired electricity plant would start working in Thar in 2015.

He also said that local people would be provided jobs in the projects.

About work done by his government, he said that 106,000 youths had been trained in different skills and 6,000 of them were employed in private sector.

He said that 25 acres of land and free seed and fertiliser had been provided to peasant women.

Houses would be built for poor women and jobs would be provided to them, he added.

Later, Mr Shah met PPP leaders and activists of Tharparkar and local people, including MNAs Mahesh Kumar Malani and Dr Khatu Mal Jivan and Senator Gul Mohammad Laat.

He said that dedicated activists were an asset of the PPP which held them in high esteem.

Party workers and local people complained to him about the poor law and order situation, shortage of water because of failure of water supply schemes and shortage of doctors, particularly lady doctors, and ambulances in government hospitals in the district.

The chief minister suspended executive engineer of Mithrao Canal Niaz Memon and SDO Naukot Iqbal Memon and directed the irrigation secretary to make arrangements for supply of water to Mithi, Islamkot, Diplo and adjoining villages in two days.

He said that work to repair roads damaged during last year’s heavy rains should be completed before the onset of monsoon and directed the finance secretary to immediately release funds for roads.

About rising incidents of theft and kidnapping, he directed DIG Sanaullah Abbasi to take measures to curb such incidents.

He said that vacant posts of doctors in government hospitals in Thar would soon be filled.

When MNA Malani and Senator Laat pointed out that some talukas of Tharparkar did not have Mukhtiarkars and DSPs, the chief minister directed the senior member of Board of Revenue to post Mukhtiarkars in two days.

Minister Memon informed Mr Shah that over 600 schools remained non-functional because of ‘ghost’ teachers. The chief minister said that the schools would be reopened soon.

Shaman Das Lohano, of Diplo, complained that police had failed to recover his kidnapped brother Dr Bheru Lal. Mr Shah directed the SSP of Tharparkar to ensure recovery of the kidnapped physician.