LARKANA, Jan 1: A strike was observed and protest demonstrations were held in Naudero here on Thursday against the kidnapping of six persons in the town. Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz leader Abdul Majeed Soomro and Shehri Ittehad leader Nisar Bhutto led the demonstrations.

The protesters burnt tyres on the main roundabouts of the town and deplored the poor state of law and order in the district. Imtiaz Soomro, Nadeem Mangnijo, Jibran Mangnijo, Altaf Bhutto, bank employee Naveed Bhutto and Rakesh Kumar were kidnapped from a Naudero-bound wagon on Wednesday night by bandits wearing police uniform.

The police said they had picked up some suspects in the case. Meanwhile, a group of people under the flag of the Sindh Graduates Association, observed a hunger strike in Ratodero here on Wednesday against the deteriorating law and order situation in the district.

Speaking on the occasion, Naudero Union Council Naib Nazim Sikandar Katpar said influential people of the town would meet on Thursday night to make a protest plan.

UPLIFT SCHEMES: The district development working party met here on Thursday under the chairmanship of district coordination officer Dr Badaruddain Ujjan and approved development schemes costing Rs40.219 million. The meeting was told that Rs8.850 million would be spent on repair, renovation and maintenance of drainage schemes in the district.

An amount to the tune of Rs23.387 million would be spent on improving the drainage schemes in Kambar, Warah, Ratodero and Shahdadkot talukas under the ADP. The DDWP approved an amount of Rs5.991 million under CCB to undertake the remodelling of the Naseer distributary and reconstruction of the link roads.

The DDWP also approved 15 new schemes in rural drainage, water supply and link road schemes.

SNF: The district body of the Sindh National Front has expressed concern over the deteriorating law and order situation. Divisional coordinator SNF Dr Roshan Paichoho presided over the meeting.

The meeting said that Ratodero had been made the target from where Asif Bhutto, Habibullah Solangi, Parvez and Ayaz Zangijo had been kidnapped. It observed that on Wednesday six people were kidnapped from the Naudero-Larkana road. The meeting alleged that the Naudero Sugar Mills management was not paying fixed rates of sugarcane to growers.