KARACHI: The ongoing development works of Rs10 billion launched in the city would be completed by end of May, but the emergence of encroachments on the newly constructed roads is quite disappointing and pathetic.
These views were expressed by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali, while presiding over a meeting to review the progress of schemes started under the Karachi Package, on Monday.
The meeting was attended by Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro, Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon, Principal Secretary to CM Naveed Kamran Baloch, Planning and Development Chairman M Waseem, Local government Secretary Ramzan Awan, DIG Traffic Asif Shaikh, Karachi Package PD Niaz Soomro, Chief Engineer Khalid Masroor, and others.
“Encroachments must be removed on war-footing basis because they are causing traffic jams and defacing the beauty of the new roads,” the CM said.
The chief minister also directed the PD to hire extra workforce for the construction work of the roads, flyovers and underpasses.
This is the only way to complete the work within time because “I have to give another Rs10 billion package for the city in the next financial year,” he said and directed Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro to keep monitoring the quality and progress of the works.
Meanwhile, the chief minister presided over a meeting regarding the Gorakh Hill Station’s development work at the Chief Minister House.
The meeting was attended by Culture Minister Sardar Shah, Gorakh Hill Station Chairman Rafiq Jamali, Principal Secretary to CM Naveed Kamran Baloch, Planning and Development Chairman M Waseem, Culture Secretary Akbar Leghari, Hyderabad Commissioner Sohail Rajput, Gorakh Hill Director General Aijaz Mangi, and others.
The CM has said that he was keen to develop Gorakh Hill Station as a tourist resort of international standards for which he had directed officials to engage an international firm through international tenders.
Sardar Shah, while briefing the chief minister, said that development of Gorakh Hill Station was approved at Rs2,543.066 million and so far Rs494.209 million had been utilised against the released amount of Rs500 million.
He added that by the end of June 2017, total utilisation would come to around Rs994.209 million and remaining funds of Rs1, 548.857 million would be allocated in the next budget 2017-18.
Sardar Shah said that 12 resorts were under construction and they would be ready shortly.
He also proposed to establish a boarding school or a police training centre at the hill station to start a permanent settlement there.
The chief minister directed the Planning and Development chairman to prepare a master plan for the Gorakh Hill Station and get it approved by the board. The other development of the station would be made according to the master plan.
He directed the Planning and Development officials to involve Public Private Partnership (PPP) Unit and plan its development under PPP mode. “I want to develop Gorakh Hill Station as per international standards, therefore, an international firm should be involved for which tender may be floated at the earliest,” he concluded.
SASIMS to be functional before Lal Shahbaz’s Urs, orders CM
Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical Sciences (SASIMS), Sehwan must be equipped with necessary gadgets and staff before the Urs of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, otherwise necessary arrangements should be made to make necessary staff and ambulances available during the Urs.
This was stated by Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali, while presiding over a meeting of Board of Governors of Syed Abdullah Shah Institute of Medical Science, Sehwan.
The meeting was attended by Health Minister and Board of Governors Chairman Dr Sikandar Mendhro, Principal Secretary to CM Naveed Kamran Baloch, Health Secretary Dr Fazlullah Pechuho, Works Secretary Aijaz Memon, Hyderabad Commissioner Sohail Rajput, and institute’s Director Dr Moinuddin Siddiqui, Superintendent Engineer Akhtar Dawach, Jamshoro DC, and others.
The chief minister was told that the construction of hospital block, 122 flats, renovation of existing block, construction of casualty are in progress at a cost of Rs321 million.
The chief minister directed SE Dawach to move to Sehwan and stay there for 15 days to complete the project. “I visited last week to find that the work had stopped, this is very serious and this kind of behaviour is unacceptable”, he said and added that next week he would visit again.
The director of the Institute said that he had only three dialysis machine which does not cater to the growing workload. He added that around 100 patients of dialysis visit the hospital. On this, the chief minister directed the health minister to arrange three more machines for the institute.
The issue of shortage of staff and ambulances was also discussed in the meeting.
The chief minister with the approval of the board allowed the induction of around 96 staff members, including specialists, doctors and para-medical staff. The selection of the staff must be made through selection board.
