THATTA, Nov 18: A large number of small growers of the district will benefit from the Rs970 million agricultural package officially notified under the directive of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz.

This was stated by MNA Ayaz Ali Shah Shirazi while speaking at a press conference at the circuit house here on Friday.

The MNA said that farmers taking agriculture loans of up to Rs100,000 and interest have been written off and farmers who had borrowed up to Rs250,000 would get exemption on interest subject to repayment of the principal amount borrowed in lump sum.

He said the prime minister honoured the promise he had made in a public meeting before the local body elections in the district.

Mr Shirazi said the government did not believe in slogans and that was evident from the ongoing work of electrification of 100 villages of the district and release of Rs50 million for construction of additional network of metallic roads in the district.

He said that work on supplying gas to the hilly town of Jhumpir was in progress and the project to provide gas to Gujjo, Mirpur Sakro, Sujawal, Mirpur Bathoro, Chuhar Jamali and Jati would be taken up soon.

The PML legislator said that a grid station and a sub-divisional office of Hesco were being set up in Mirpur Bathoro town to minimize power breakdowns and other electric problems for inhabitants of the Mirpur Bathoro taluka.

He said that directives had also been issued to restart by energizing the defunct grid station of Garho a remote station in deltaic zone by its functioning, four talukas — Keti Bunder, Kharo Chan, Ghorabari and Sakro — would partially be illuminated.

He said that work on provision of a purification plant for Thatta town to cost Rs600 million would soon be started.

He said that utility stores were being set up in Thatta, Gharo and Sujawal towns to facilitate provision of daily commodities on comparatively low rates.

He said that the issue of defunct Thatta sugar mills was going to be solved and the district government headed by Shafqat Hussain Shah Shirazi had announced employment to 300 teachers in primary schools and creation of more job opportunities in the district.

“A considerable amount has also been earmarked in the next budget of the district council to accommodate doctors, dispensers and paramedics on the contract basis,” he said.

He said that due to its unparallel public services the Shirazi group affiliated with the PML had achieved public sympathies and elected for the ongoing tenure and continue to serve the general public without discrimination.