960407

Larkana sugar mills

not feasible,

Amjad tells Sindh PA

NAYYAR ZUBERI

KARACHI: Pir Amjad Hussain Shah, Sindh Minister for Agriculture, informed the Provincial Assembly during question hour on Sunday that establishment of new sugar mills in Larkana division was not feasible.

He said the existing sugarcane crushing capacity of Larkana Sugar Mills is 1500 MT per day. The cane requirement for 160 days comes to about 2,40,000 MT.

He said the climatic conditions in Larkana division were not conducive to obtaining optimum yields of sugarcane. However, he pointed out that two new sugar mills, namely, Digri Sugar Mills, and Tharparker Sugar Mills, Samaro, were under various stages of construction.

The Minister said that Serri Sugar Mills, was expected to start crushing during this season on trial basis.

To a question Syed Mohsin Shah, Minister for Food, said that provincial government would start purchasing wheat on new rates as and when it received notification from the federal government.

To another question Pir Amjad Hussain Shah informed the House that the government would enhance tractor rent only if the operational charges went up.

Replying to a question, Ghulam Rasool Jatoi, Minister for Revenue, said that due to high floods during 1995 a total of 20,989 houses and crops on 557,775 acres were fully damaged and added that 20,989 families had been compensated for rehabilitation.

He said that the provincial government had provided Rs 2,39,67,146 for relief and rescue operation, providing cooked food and dry ration to the affected people, Rs 8,16,19,000 for reconstruction of collapsed houses and Rs 36,70,000 for loss of life.

The Minister said that the irrigation department, had intimated that as per decision taken in Cabinet Sub-Committee meeting headed by Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Islamabad, summaries of the losses due to high flood were reported to Nespak consultants. The losses amounted to Rs 1732.023 million, up-till now no donor agency had agreed to provide aid for restoration works.

However, the minister said, the short-term scheme for restoration of 1995 flood damage included restoration of F.P. Bund at a cost of Rs 108.711 million, restoration of flood damage caused to the right bank of M.N.V. on account of breaches in F.P Bund at a cost of Rs 159.839 million; restoration of flood damage to Gaj diversion bund at a cost of Rs 114.55 million, and restoration of Manchar Containing Bank at a cost of Rs 32.370 million. The work on these schemes were in progress and would be completed before June 1996.