HYDERABAD (APP) - Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah has castigated the undemocratic role and baseless propaganda of so called nationalists of Sindh adding that history proved that they remained silent at the time when the rights of the people were usurped by undemocratic government. They started hue and cry when the elected government was struggling for the welfare of masses, he added. The Chief Minister expressed these remarks while addressing on the occasion of handing over of land documents of Journalists Colony here at Hyderabad Press Club on Monday afternoon. Syed Qaim Ali Shah said despite the fact that the present government has done a lot for the welfare of the masses only in one and half year period, these so called nationalists have started a baseless campaign against PPP. He said the government came into power with the support of masses after a long struggle against dictatorial regime and within a short period of one and half years, Sindh government has initiated number of steps for achieving due rights for the province. He said that NFC and Water were the main issues of Sindh for which PPP along with other parties always struggled and during short period, the PPP government has permanently settled the controversial issue of Kalabagh Dam and making efforts to get due share of water according to the 1991 Water Accord. Similarly, the Chief Minister said that other provinces have accepted the strong opinion of Sindh that collection of sales tax on services should be right of the province. The acceptance of this demand is a great success of the provincial government as it will provide benefit of Rs 25 billion to Sindh, he added. He said that Sindh had suffered heavy financial losses as a result of NFC Awards announced during the interim government in 1997 and later by previous government, however, the present provincial government is tackling the issues of the province with strong opinion and now the people would witness the distribution of NFC Award with multi criteria basis including population and revenue generation. During the regimes of dictators, Syed Qaim Ali Shah said that leaders, workers and supporters of PPP always experienced injustices, torture, confinements and registration of false cases and even after tragic assassination of Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, they were involved in false cases as compared to the so called leaders of nationalist parties and their workers, who remained silent when injustices were being done with the province. Referring Tharparkar, the remote district of the province, the Chief Minister said that besides effective utilization of Thar Coal, the government has started number of development schemes including the provision of drinking water to the people. The previous government did not take any interest for uplift of remote area of Tharparkar and improvement in socio economic condition of the people despite the fact that the than Chief Minister belonged to this area. Syed Qaim Ali Shah said the provincial government also approached to the federal government to get permission for establishing a one thousand megawatts power plants against 50 megawatts plant. He said that poverty alleviation with provision all basic rights is the motto of Pakistan Peoples Party and the party would continue its efforts till accomplishment of the task. The great leaders Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto have sacrificed their lives for the cause and the present PPP government is striving to fulfill the visions of the great leaders, he said and added that billions of rupees are being spent for improvement in socio-economic condition of the masses. Similarly, he said the government has involved the private organisation to conduct survey of the remote parts of the province and indicate the requirements of the area to the government so that efforts could be made for uplift of the area, the Chief Minister said. He said the government also planned to appoint qualified teachers through test by University of Sindh aimed to provide quality education to the future generation. The jobs are being granted purely on merit and through Sindh Public Service Commission, he said and added that with this effort, the government wanted transparency in providing employment. He said the government has allocated maximum grant for provision of health facilities to the masses and has been engaged in upgrading the hospitals, provision of modern medical equipment and appointment of doctors. About granting of residential plots to journalists, Sindh Chief Minister said that government has initiated this action with a spirit to provide residential facilities to the journalists. He assured that residential plots will be granted to journalists on cheap rates and with development from concerned department. The Chief Minister highly praised the role of Hyderabad Press Club for its struggle for the restoration of democracy and human rights and announced the grant of rupees one million for the club. Among others, senior journalist Ali Hassan, President Hyderabad Press Club Mahesh Kumar, Secretary Hameed-ur-Rehman and Chairman Plot Committee Khalid Khokhar also addressed and thanked the Chief Minister for granting land for establishment of a Journalists Colony. Sindh Ministers Syed Ali Nawaz Shah, Zahid Bhurgari, Syed Ali Nawaz Shah Rizvi, MNA Wasim Hussain, MPA Akram Adil, Advocate General Sindh Yousuf Leghari, PPP Information Secretary Hyderabad Division Dr. Tehsin Shaikh, Zonal Incharge MQM Muhammad Sharif and leaders of PPP Hyderabad District including Senior Vice President Amanullah Sial and Information Secretary Aftab Khanzada were also present on the occasion.