B A H AW A L P U R : Speakers at the Cholistan Seraiki Adabi Conference at the Punjab Arts Council criticised the government for allotting Cholistan`s land to `the outsiders` on the basis of fake domiciles instead of real Cholistanis.

Theyurgedthegovernment to pay special attention to solution to the basic problems of the residents of the desert.

The speakers included nationalists, scholars, writers, broadcasters, lawyers and journalists.

Prominent figures included former federal secretary Hussain Ahmed Madani, Professor Dr Mushtaq Ahmed, and Seraiki poet Jahangir Mukhlis. The gathering was presided over by Seraiki leader Zahoor Dhareja, and the event was organised by the Saraikistan NationalCouncil and the Saraiki Poets Rights Council.

The speakers demanded the government open a new dialogue with the stakeholders on the resolutions to Cholistan`s basic problems like provision of drinking water both for humans and their livestock, establishment of pastures and a network of health and education facilities.

They criticised the poor performance of the Cholistan Development Authority (CDA), saying that the CDA had failed to provide adequate facilities to the locals and allot land to thousands of Cholistanis under the Punjab Chief Minister`s Package despite the passage ofseveralyears.

The speakers slated the government functionaries for deliberately delaying measures for the protection of Cholistan`s culture and heritage. They said the cultural heritage of thedesertneeded toberehabilitated for the promotion of tourism.

The speakers criticised the government departments for holding the national event of the Cholistan Jeep Rally in the desert at the cost of the locals, without giving them its financial or other benefits.

They were unanimous in making the demand for creating the new Cholistan division with the carving of the new districts in the Bahawalpur division as well as new constituencies for the national and Punjab assemblies in the desert.

GRID: The Multan Electric Power Company (Mepco) has completed the establishment of the Donga Bonga Grid Station in Bahawalnagar district at a cost of Rs2.7bn.

According to a press release, Mepco Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Mahrullah Yar Bharwana said the 132kV DongaBonga Grid Station had been provided with a power transformer of 10/13MVA costing about Rs1.5bn. For this purpose, a 17km long electric cable had been laid at a cost of Rs1.2bn to supply power from Haroonabad Grid Station to Donga Bona grid.

The Donga Bonga grid station will have seven new feeders, which would supply electricity to thousands of consumers of Donga Bonga, Adda Kherajpura and other adjacent areas.