NAWABSHAH, May 27: The existing irrigation system including Nusrat Canal has collapsed and needs immediate repair, District Nazim Faryal Talpur told the District Council session at Darbar Hall here on Thursday.

Faryal Talpur said that she had made equal distribution of funds and schemes in all the three talukas of the district without any discrimination.

She said that the district government constructed several educational institutions, teachers resource centres, H.M. Khwaja library, provision of computers in high schools, provision of SMC funds, distribution of free textbooks and scholarships and provision of funds for a mono-technical institute for girls in Nawabshah.

In the health sector, she said that the Sakrand taluka hospital was upgraded, more dispensaries were established, surgical instruments were purchased and in future projects a 50-bed hospital in Manuabad and cancer hospital were in the pipeline.

She further said that the water supply Phase-IV scheme was started with provision of water from the main Rohri Canal for the city and several drainage and water supply schemes were provided to villages and towns under ADP, and KPP in physical planning and housing sectors.

203 kilometres of rural roads were constructed to facilitate rural population for communication and a bridge on Sakrand-Khadar road was near completion, besides several abandoned schemes of roads were also started and were in progress.

She said that the district government was giving priority to the promotion of sports and cultural activities and the construction of work of stadium was in progress.

She said that the district government was conscious of the welfare of women, minorities and labour and block allocations were earmarked for development and each member of these categories would receive schemes of an estimated cost of Rs150,000 while each lady councillor would be provided 10 sewing machines.

She further informed that a grant of Rs1.5 million would be provided to TMA Nawabshah for purchase of tractor trolleys and machines. She informed that gas for Shahpur Jehanian was approved at a cost of Rs15 million in which Rs7.5 million would be given by the district government.

Realizing the need of supply of clean drinking water to the citizens, she said that the district government had already planned to install water purification systems in each union council and a project was in the pipeline.

She urged all nazims and members of the district council to participate in the anti-polio campaign starting from June 1-3 in district. District officer education, Abdul Malik Lakhmir while answering questions raised by the nazim said that 198 teachers were re-deployed for the opening of 204 closed schools and work was in progress.

District Officer Buildings, Basheer Shaikh informed the house that rent of 14 union councils offices had been paid up to June 2004 and renovation work of the District Council hall would be completed by June. Several road schemes in union council Suhelo, Haberi, Ismail Brohi, Khadar and Khar were approved in Citizen Community Board (CCB) schemes.