NPIW workers protest as govt decides to wind up project

Friday, December 18, 2009
By Imtiaz Hussain

KHAIRPUR: The National Programme for the Improvement of Watercourses (NPIW) would wind up by June 2010, The News has learnt.

Federal Steering Committee (FSC) in its 12th meeting after discussing the merits and demerits of the NPIW had finally reached consensus on winding up the project by June 30, 2010.

Directorate General Agricultural Engineering and Water Management Sindh Hyderabad pursuing the (FSC) decision has informed the NPIW employees that project was to end and they should clear their liabilities and ensure that the rest of targeted cementing of watercourses was finished within due time.

Directorate also banned purchase of any more transport vehicles and supplies, office equipments, furniture and fixture during the current fiscal.

Directorate also advised all executing agencies to furbish record of audit reports, action taken on audit observations and audit verification.

Directorate by pursuing the decision advised to Sindh and Punjab should stop further improvement of watercourses in the rain fed baraani areas and efforts be made to complete targets in irrigated areas.

Meanwhile hundreds of NPIW employees after getting such a deadline of the project launched massive protest rally towards tomb of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto three days back and later staged demo at the residence of the President of Pakistan in Naudero.

Hundreds of protesters in severe cold declined to move from president house until regularisation of their services or adjusting them in other department like Punjab and Balochistan government.

The NPIW employees in a protest demonstration in Larkana conveyed message to President of Pakistan that Project benefited thousands of growers and curbed water logging and irrigation water theft.

The NPIW employees said that with the termination of their services they and their dependents would be affected and deprived.

They said that the government was only making them go around in circles and was offering nothing but solace and hollow promises.