TANDO MOHAMMAD KHAN                 -              Although Tando Mohammad Khan district has been receiving a large amount from the United Energy Pakistan (UEP) every year under the oil and gas royalty, still no development work could be seen in any sector.

Sources told The Nation that the district had been getting royalty for the last fifteen years according to the ratio of production from the local oil and gas wells.

It has been learnt that the district received over Rs6.9 million in royalty, out of which 50 percent was given to the oil and gas producing constituency. Unfortunately, not a single mega project could be started in the district as yet, which is a smallest district of the province.

Similarly, the condition of hospitals, roads and water and electricity supply schemes in the district has worsened over the years. Although 50 percent of the royalty should go to development projects through district government, the drainage system is in tatters and the situation at hospitals could not be improved either.

An official said on condition of anonymity that the funds were being misused; otherwise the royalty funds in addition to the annual share of the district from the provincial government, could solve all major problems of the district.

The royalty funds were released to contractors for the approved schemes, but unfortunately no development work could be seen in the district.

Sources said that the companies had promised to donate equipments and other technical machines to the hospitals along with the construction of link roads for the villages, but the lawmakers from the area were employing people of their constituencies and keeping mum about the development projects.

Another complaint is that the local people are feeling deprived because the oil and gas companies like; Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and United Energy Pakistan (UEP) recruit people from other areas instead of the locals.

Talking to this scribe, the locals said they were not against the recruitment of outsiders, but priority should be given to them.

They said that employment ratio of local people was nominal in the oil and gas companies. These companies had practically denied the right of jobs to the locals, they complained.