MITHI: The Sindh government on Sunday launched the Annual Grant Scheme to the households residing within the one-kilometer vicinity of water Gorano reservoir by distributing cheques among the 507 eligible household owners. As per the scheme approved by the cabinet of the Sindh government all the eligible married households living within the one-kilometer vicinity of Gorano reservoir will receive an annual grant of Rs.100,000 for a lifetime, i.e., 30 years. On the directions of CM Sindh, Syed Murad Ali Shah and the draft to pay compensation to the residents of the region was processed by the Sindh Minister for Energy, Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh, member of the National Assembly from Tharparkar Dr Mahesh Kumar Malani, and member Sindh Assembly Faqir Sher Mohammad Bilalani. The compensation cheques after the completion of the process were distributed to the eligible household owners during the impressive ceremony on Sunday. . The scheme was part of the Thar Coal Project under which locals belonging to the immediate vicinities of the wastewater project area will receive lifetime grants to get direct benefit from the project. On the other hand, 172 households of New Senhri Dars of Thar Coal Block II had already received annual grants of Rs.100,000 for the past two years.The ceremony was witnessed by deputy commissioner Tharparkar, Mohammad Nawaz Soho, Manager CSR Thar Foundation Mohsin Babbar, and assistant commissioner Islamkot, Samiullah Sanjrani and participated by local Gorano elders Ahmad Shah, Hamid Dohar, Bheem Raj, Leela Ram, Bhooral Shah, Lakho Bheel, local Pakistan People Party leaders Susheel Malani, Siraj Soomro, and others were also present on the occasion.Addressing the ceremony, PPP MNA Dr. Mahesh Kumar Malani said that to give benefit to locals living around the one-kilometer vicinity of Gorano reservoir, the Sindh government and its cabinet had approved an annual grant scheme of Rs.100,000/= each to the eligible households for 30 years. He said the government of Sindh would take more such decisions so that locals might reap the fruits of the Thar Coal development of the area. “Under the umbrella of Engro and Thar Foundation, the government of Sindh had already provided basic necessities like clean drinking water, health clinics, and educational facilities to the people of the area,” he added. Dr Malani said that both the Sindh government and the executives of the mining firm had almost fulfilled their promises and commitments made with the people before carrying out the mega projects of coal extraction and power generation through the plants installed at the site. He assured that all the basic modern facilities would be provided to the people of Islamkot and the entire desert district under the directions of PPP top leadership adding he said that PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari was in direct contact with the lawmakers from Thar to provide Tharis with all required facilities at the doorstep. Manager CSR Thar Foundation and the spokesperson of Sindh Engro Coal Mining Company Mohsin Babbar said, the local Tharis should be the prime beneficiaries of the developments taking place in the area, which we consider their legitimate right. He thanked the government of Sindh for introducing a historic and unprecedented policy decision to provide grants to the eligible households of the area, which had never seen before in the development history of Pakistan. The local elders of the area Bheem Raj, Hamid Dohar, and Lakho Bheel also received annual grant cheques from the chief guests and said it’s their right to receive all facilities including the annual gran Attachments