A proposal is under consideration to slash the tuition fees of the universities of the province by 50 per cent.
This was disclosed by Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori, who is also the chancellor of all the public sector universities in the province, as he spoke to journalists on Saturday after laying the foundation stone of the Bagh-e-Karachi at the site of the former Aladdin Park.
He said that soon a meeting of the vice-chancellors of public and private sector universities in the province would be convened to consider the proposal to reduce the tuition fee of the students.
Due steps would be taken to increase the number of scholarships for needy university students in the province by 100 per cent in order to provide due relief to their parents facing economic hardships, he added.
Tessori mentioned that getting admissions to universities had become difficult for youths and efforts would be made to simplify the process so that youths belonging to every segment of society could get the opportunity of higher education.
He said that he had been discharging his responsibilities with the fullest resolve to get rid of the land-grabbing mafia active in the city. He told the media that he had been performing his duties with the basic aim of maintaining a cordial environment in the province.
To a question, he said that Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan and Pakistan Peoples Party were holding talks to take steps in the best interest of the province and the country.
The governor said that he had been making efforts with the aim to serve the residents of the province in the best possible manner keeping in view the current economic situation. He maintained that he had enough powers for the desired public service.
Tessori praised the consul general of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for attending the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the park and also giving assurance on behalf of the UAE government to provide assistance to build the park in the shortest possible time.
He mentioned that the Chinese Consulate General had given $100,000 to the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation for spending on the uplift of the city.
He explained that in case the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) lacked funds, philanthropists would be approached to get their help for completing the park. Efforts would be made to build the park in six months, he said.
He mentioned that KMC Administrator Dr Syed Saif-ur-Rehman had earlier built the Kidney Hill Park in Karachi with full commitment in the shortest possible time and he would work with the same level of dedication again to build the new park.
Answering a question regarding the menace of street crime in the city, Tessori said he had asked the Karachi police chief to visit the affected parts of the city and ensure that the relevant SSPs also patrolled their respective areas.
He added that the director-general of the Sindh Rangers had also been performing his duties well in this regard.
Leprosy hospital
Sindh Governor Kamran Khan Tessori has announced that he will take steps to uplift the Leprosy Hospital of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation in the Manghopir area.
He said this during a visit to the Leprosy Hospital along with Karachi Administrator Syed Saif-ur-Rehman on Saturday.
It was for the first time that any governor had visited the hospital during its history spanning over 125 years.
Tessori said that he became saddened on seeing the plight of the hospital. He said that assistance would be sought from the private sector and philanthropists to uplift the hospital.
He praised the doctors and paramedical staff of the hospital for treating the persons affected with leprosy.
The governor said that leprosy could be treated after early detection of the disease as the patients should approach the doctors after early symptoms of the disease.
The Karachi administrator said that over 90 patients were being treated at the hospital and in some cases all the family members of the patients stayed at the healthcare facility. He said the KMC bore complete expenses being incurred on treating the patients. He said the hospital was the biggest healthcare facility in Pakistan to fight leprosy.