THATTA, Dec 18: The adviser to Sindh chief minister, Faqir Jadam Mangrio, on Saturday abolished the contract system and restored the licence system for fishing in the Keenjhar Lake.

Speaking at a gathering of fishermen at the Keenjhar Lake, he said a task of releasing over one million fish seedlings in the lake would be accomplished by the end of this year.

He said that cattle owners residing along the banks of Keenjhar Lake would be given veterinary medicines free of cost.

The adviser announced the establishment of ten more veterinary dispensaries in the district.

Responding to the demand of Adam Gandhro, the chairman of the Fishermen Cooperative Society, Mr Mangrio said the government was planning to generate more resources for unemployed youth of the fisherman community.

The adviser announced the fixation of iron nets on all inlet and outlet points of the lake to stop whisking away of fish seedlings.

The adviser to Sindh chief minister on forests, Mr Aijaz Shah Shirazi, lauded the efforts of the Sindh government for settling the issue of the Badin fishermen.

The Sindh secretary for fisheries and livestock, Mr Sikandar Ali, the director-general of the fisheries and livestock, Mr Baz Mohammad Junejo, also spoke on the occasion.

FARMERS: Four residents of the Shaheed Fazil Raho taluka have threatened to commit self immolation if they were not paid payments of their leased lands within a week.

Sattar Shah, Hashim Jatt, Mohammad Juman and Mohammad Aslam, residents of Deh Oranga and Deh Gadap Wah, Jati taluka, told newsmen at the press club that they had leased out 12 acre land to the British Oil, Exploration and Production Inc.

They said the area produced 35,000 barrels of crude oil every day, generating huge revenues for the national exchequer.

They claimed that the lessee had acquired the possession of land in 1993 under individual lease agreements but sunk pipelines for tapping oil.

They erected other installations on it but went on denying their lease money payments on one or the other pretext.