Sindh Government Land Distribution Programme, Project Director Faisal Ukili has said that in second phase of Sindh government land distribution program would be initiated in April 2010 and the Government would also include the representatives of civil society in the process to make pre-land distribution process more transparent. He expressed this view in a consultative workshop jointly organized by PDI and Oxfam GB held at a local hotel on 31 March 2010. Former provincial secretary Hashim Leghari, Nazeer Memon agriculture expert, Sindh Porhiat Harri Council President Punahial Sahrio, Zulifqar Halepoto TRDP, Sadarudian Jatoi of UNDP, Ishaq Mangrio, Shaheena Remzan of Bhundar Hari Sangat and large numbers of women land grantee from the different districts and representatives participated in PDI-Oxfam GB Consultative workshop. In the workshop different sessions were held in which participants of a workshop in detail discussed the issues facing by women land grantee. Sindh government, project Director Land Distribution Program said that he welcomed the suggestion floated by participants in the workshop and pledged that he would involve the civil society representative during the pre-land distribution process.
He added that he never claimed that under the said program, government has achieved 100 percent successful result to empower the poor women folk of rural areas. He added that after PDI-and Oxfam GB joint research study, government had cancelled allotted lands which allotted women land grantee in the sea intrude areas.
The participants of workshop demanded from the government that to make successful the whole process of land distribution, a real reform would be initiated and feudal lords who have large holdings of land , should be distributed among the poor masses of the country . They opined that in the presence of huge land holding feudal it was merely a dream for people of the Sindh especially for poor segment of society to get rid of from the increasing poverty. During the workshop a suggestion floated by a woman representative that poor widow women would be inducted in upcoming land distribution program. Former Sindh government official Mr. Hashim Leghari, who held key position in different departments, emphasized that in second phase of land distribution the suggestion and input of civil society representatives should be included.
He suggested that to make successful and transparent whole process a watch dog body should be announce by the government which monitor pre and post land distribution issues of women land grantee. Sindh Porhiat Harri Council President Punahial Sahrio suggested that open court (Katcharies) should hold on public places instead of sitting government MNAs, MPs . He said that government should distribute land among poor women without any party affiliation and recommendation of influential local feudal. Sindh government official listened the post land distribution issues faced by different women land grantee saying that it was responsibility of the local revenue officials to resolve the post land distribution issues of women land grantee. PDI Director Sikander Brohi and women land grantee also spoke in the conference .
