DADU, Nov 23: Members of the district council have appealed to the federal government to ensure provision of jobs to local people in skilled and unskilled fields at the oil and gas field of ENI in Bhit Jabal , Sehwan taluka, and the BHP's Zamzama field in Johi taluka.

The demand was made at a council session held here on Tuesday and presided over by convener Zahid Hussain Jatoi. Tabling a resolution on the issue, Ibrahim Khan Rind said that managements of both the oil and gas companies neglected the local people and provided jobs to people belong to Punjab, Balochistan and the NWFP.

He regretted that the companies used land of local people but did not provide jobs to them according to the agreement with the government. He alleged that some officials of the oil companies misappropriated funds allocated for community and social development. He demanded audit of the funding made to NGOs and release of funds to reputed organisations.

Ali Mohammad Soomro and Mohammad Paryal Birhamani, supporting the issue, appealed to the federal government to intervene in the matter. The session adopted the resolution.

Tabling another resolution, Nazeer Ahmed Leghari said that inhabitants of Sawaro union council consumed brackish water, therefore, the district government should undertake a water supply scheme in the area.

The session approved the resolution and decided that a water supply scheme would be undertaken in the area by the district government. Mr Paryal raised the issue of cotton price and said the government had not increased price, hence, farmers were sustaining losses. Imamzadi Shaikh, Nisar Shaikh, Ghaffar Khero, Abid Lakhair and Saeed Jamali supported the resolution and called upon the government to increase the price.

WATER SHORTAGE: A large number of growers of the Johi taluka marched 15 kilometres from Johi to the Dadu town on Tuesday to protest against artificial shortage of water.

Led by Johi taluka People's Party Parliamentarians president Bashir Ahmad Thahim and Abadgar Association leaders Adam Jamali, Abdullah Jamali and Khair Mohammad Chandio, the protesters also held a demonstration for four hours outside the office of the executive engineer, irrigation, Dadu, and blocked the Dadu-Larkana road.

Speaking on the occasion, the leaders accused irrigation officers of selling water of the Johi Branch to influential farmers of Mehar, Khairpur Nathan Shah and Dadu talukas.

They said Lakha, Noonari, Chejani, Chhinni and Daim waterways had dried up. They regretted that growers in the Johi taluka had not cultivated paddy and cotton crops due to the water shortage. They said irrigation officials were also not providing water for wheat crop.

MNA Rafiq Ahmad Jamali, who arrived at the protest site, assured the growers that water supply to their area would be restored in three days. On this assurance, the growers ended their protest. Earlier, the growers had also held a demonstration outside the office of the district nazim.