Daily Times

The large-scale movement of population from rural and backward areas to main cities to seek jobs needs urgent attention. Instead of ringing alarm bells in the high offices of politicians and bureaucrats, they remain unperturbed. The political tug of war that went on during PTI rule has continued unabated. The most depressing situation is that the wellbeing of the downtrodden doesn’t surface in the priority list of feuding politicians.

For instance, people moving from the far-flung districts in the Seraiki belt, such as, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah Rajanpur and so on, to big cities is a compulsion for them to keep the requirement of body and soul together. On reaching the cities, people settle on all kinds of menial jobs in return for small salaries. Many of them serve in the houses of the rich as household servants, which also includes women. Some of these hapless women falling prey to the lust of the homeowners is nothing new. In many cases the poor woman is killed before she squeaks and the rich homeowner gets away from the clutches of law, for being rich.

No government in the past considered creating opportunities of livelihood in the rural areas to prevent people from shifting to big cities. For example, the barren lands in district D G Khan and its tehsil Taunsa to which former CM Usman Buzdar belonged, large industrial zones could have been set up. The entrepreneurs could have been induced to set up industries based on local agriculture produce on the assurance of getting cheap power supply and latitude in various taxes. The locals jobless would have earned their living near their own homes. In Australia, when the government wishes to develop new residential areas, it first provides the road infrastructure, schools, a university and a railway line. People automatically move in there since the residential plots are cheaper than in the main cities. The main cities are saved from extra burden on the civic amenities.

No government in the past considered creating opportunities of livelihood in the rural areas to prevent people from shifting to big cities.

Our case is different. Instead of setting up new cities in unpopulated areas, more residential societies are added to big cities. Lahore, the provincial capital is already bursting with population. Now a huge concrete jungle in the shape of River Ravi Front has been planned. The ill-conceived project is located on river Ravi, which is one of the most polluted rivers according to the environmentalists. River Ravi is turned into a drain of black slimy water where human waste and chemicals are dumped. How tragic that 44,000 acres of arable land has been acquired for the project. Many owners of the land having gone to the courts is another matter. Ravi Urban Development Authority has already been constituted and filled with bureaucrats.

Now why couldn’t Hill Torrents Development Authority be set up in Taunsa? The authority should be deputed to build dams on hill torrents, store water, and set up filtration plants to make local brackish water potable. It will discourage movement of local people from leaving their homes in Koh Suleman Ranges to the planes. Besides, during the rainy season more than hundred thousand cusecs of water that gushes down from the mountains and devastates crops in the neighbouring districts will be controlled and put to useful purpose. These projects will open new vistas of job opportunities for the locals.

Were people in the backward areas provided with basic facilities to earn their livelihood, educate their children, and get medical care near their homes, they wouldn’t have to leave their soil where they were born and brought up. During Eid holidays, Lahore city roads turn almost empty. It’s just that the huge number of working hands return to their villages to celebrate Eid with their families. Recently, I asked Najam, who works in a laboratory and belongs to Tibi Qaisrani in Tehsil Taunsa, why couldn’t find a job near his home. He said, if he could find one there why would he travel more than three hundred miles away from home, pay rent for living, support himself and send money back home to the family.

Former CM Buzdar could have done a lot by establishing industrial ventures in the backward areas of D G Khan but he wasn’t cut out for it. Even his appointment as CM of the province of over hundred million was a shock for many. From where he materialised, everyone seemed to question. By appointing him as CM, Imran Khan the great man with the rosary who often talks about the state of Medina wanted to prove that when God gives, He gives through the roof.

The writer is a Lahore-based columnist and can be reached at pinecity@gmail.com