DADU, Aug 9: The secretary of Irrigation, Sindh, on Friday appointed a team of engineers to probe the charges of embezzlement in the construction works of the Nain Gaj, F.P. Bund and Manchhar Lake Bund projects.

The DCO, Dadu, Abdul Razzaq Abbasi, had moved the Sindh chief secretary, K. B. Rind, in writing that the Flood Protective Bund, the Manchhar Lake Bund and the banks of the Nain Gaj had become weak and were unable to sustain the flow of rainwater.

He informed the chief secretary that in case of a heavy rainfall water from various parts of the district would pass through the Nain Gaj which would result in the occurrence of breaches at the Flood Protective Bund, Manchhar Lake Bund and Nain Gaj banks, and the whole district would be flooded.

The DCO further informed that the previous governments had released Rs127 million for the construction of the Nain Gaj and F.P. Bund projects and a sum of Rs15 million had been released for the construction of the Manchhar Lake Bund, especially to plug and strengthen those portions where breaches had occurred in 1994.

But work was not carried out properly in accordance with the specifications, he observed.

He requested the Sindh chief secretary to probe into the work carried out at the Nain Gaj Flood Protective Bund and the Manchhar Lake Bund projects.

Responding to the communication from the DCO, Dadu, the chief secretary, Sindh, has directed the secretary irrigation to hold an enquiry.

In compliance with the directives of the chief secretary, the secretary, Irrigation, Mir Mohammed Parhiar, has appointed two teams of engineers to initiate an enquiry into the works carried out at the Nain Gaj, Manchhar Lake Bund, and Flood Protective Bund since 1994.

The enquiry team will consist of the chief engineer, Sukkur Barrage, Syed Noor Mohammed Shah, and the chief engineer development, Basheer Ahmed Dahar.

SALARIES: Over 200 employees of the Dadu taluka municipal administration staged a demonstration here on the other day to protest against the non-payment of their salaries for the last four months.

Led by the general-secretary, the municipal employees union (CBA), Arbab Ali Thaheem, the protesters were carrying banners and placards and were raising slogans for their demands.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Thaheem said officials of the taluka municipal administration were drawing their salaries every month but sanitation and low-paid employees were deprived of their salaries.

Later, they also observed a token hunger strike.