HYDERABAD, Dec 23: The local government system, which is nearing the end of its second term, has failed to change anything in Tando Mohammad Khan, one of new districts created by the Arbab-led Sindh government, as far as provision of some basic amenities is concerned.

Almost all roads and streets of the small town are potholed and bumpy though they have been constructed over and over again by successive administrations albeit with substandard material.The development budget of the district is around Rs160 million out of a total outlay of Rs800 to 900 million but its major chunk is diverted to salary and non-salary heads.

The district government has built two parks at a cost of Rs30 million and made some expenses in Bulri Shah Karim taluka’s and Tando Mohammad Khan’s hospitals, which has now been upgraded to district headquarters hospital.

“It seems the district government has worked without any vision and it has not focussed on some particular issue like sanitation and health,” said a district government official.

He agreed that sanitation and road sectors in the district had not received any attention. The main Station Road that passes through the town centre is in a dilapidated condition and, according to shopkeepers of the Teen Batti Char Rasta area, the road was built a year ago but it was again in bad shape. Its condition has worsened during recent winter rains. “It’s a two kilometre stretch built at a cost of Rs3.6 million from Ayubia bus stand to Lakhat stop and I believe only patchwork has been done on it,” said a resident of the area.

He blamed the contractor for using substandard material. People throw garbage on a portion of this road near a girls’ public school, turning the spot a permanent nuisance for the passersby in the absence of a proper cleanliness system that should have been put in place by the taluka municipal administration.

There are complaints about contamination in water supplied to townspeople who believe that ponds have not been de-silted and colour of water has changed. “The entire system needs overhaul to ensure supply of filtered water to people,” said a journalist.

The town’s water is lifted from a distributary. Water supply system needs upgradation although the district government claims to have laid some water supply lines besides the sewerage network amid reports that drain water usually gets mixed with drinking water at some places.

Some facelift had been given to the area where the offices of the DCO, the DPO and other officials are located through installation of streetlights, green belts and plantation. Two parks have been built in the town as well but people say they lack arrangement for sanitation and roads.

The district government on the other hand faced some problems in release of funds following change of setup at provincial level in the wake of February elections.

District Nazim Tando Mir Inayat Ali Khan Talpur was not available for comments.

Tando Mohammad Khan was carved out of Hyderabad in April 2005 by then chief minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim.