Food minister against construction of canal in his area

KARACHI - Sindh Food Minister Nadir Ali Khan Magsi has exhorted the people of his constituency to publicly
raise their voice against the construction of a new canal in his area, Qambar-Shahdadkot, which has already
been rejected by Benazir Bhutto.
Speaking at the floor of Sindh Assembly during the general discussion on budget on Thursday, he accused the
“influential people with vested interests” for the construction of the new canal which he alleged would turn the land
irrigated by Saifullah Magsi canal, named after his father, into a barren land. At the same time it would irrigate
new barren lands for the benefit of people with vested interests.
He said that he recently met President Asif Ali Zardari and briefed him about the construction of the new canal.
When the President was informed that Benazir Bhutto had already rejected the scheme for the new canal, the
President had directed for halting the work on the new canal. He said that he was not consulted or taken into
confidence in the planning of a new canal.
Magsi said that along with positive aspects highlighted by his colleagues, he would also like to pinpoint
weaknesses of the new budget.
He said that his colleague, the incumbent irrigation minister, has no sufficient knowledge about irrigation. He
lamented that no development schemes of roads, healthcare and education have been allocated in the newly
created district of Qamber-Shahdadkot, which lies in his constituency.
Taking part in the discussion, Sindh Agriculture Minister Syed Ali Nawaz Shah said that PPP had always served
the masses whenever it came to power and presented poor-friendly budgets.
Presenting performance of his department during last year, he said that production of cotton had increased by
43.7 per cent compared to last year; rice production increased by 39.6 per cent and wheat by 3.8 per cent.
He said that keeping in view shortages of urea, government has imported the commodity in quantity more than
the requirement. He said that he had adopted austerity measures in his office and had reduced the expenditure
of the secretariat by 22 per cent.
Sindh Minister for Excise, Mukesh Kumar Chawla, while appreciating budget said that government had made