Karachi being developed after diagnostic study, says CM Murad Ali Shah

By Our Correspondent
February 20, 2020

The World Bank conducted a Karachi diagnostic study to identify areas and the sectors where necessary intervention in terms of development could be made.

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Under the guidance of the study, the Sindh government in collaboration with the World Bank is going to spend $10 billion during the next 10 years to overhaul local bodies organisations, including the KMC, DMCs, District Council and water board, apart from launching major development works in water and sanitation, solid waste management, roads/bridges and underpasses in the city.

“The purpose is to make Karachi one of the best livable cities of the world,” said Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali shah while addressing on Wednesday the 47th batch of under-training assistant commissioners, who visited him under a study tour organised by the Civil Service academy led by the director of the academy in Lahore.

The meeting was attended by Chairman P&D M Waseem, PSCM Sajid Jamal Abro, Home Secretary Usman Chachar, Secretary Finance Hassan Naqvi, Secretary Health Zahid Abbasiand others.

To a question, Shah said that under the previous devolution programme, the posts of district chiefs were created under the nomenclature of Nazims. They not only started recruitment but gave promotions contrary to the Appointment, Promotion and Transfer (APT) Rules of the government. “Only in Karachi additional 6,000 employees were inducted in KMC,” he said and added the system [devolution] had no checks and balances; therefore, the entire system was affected.”

The provincial assembly passed a new local government law and the mayors of Karachi and other cities and the chairmen of the local bodies had ample powers, including financial authority, the chief minister said and added: “They can impose local taxes, carry on development works.”

He said that there were 29 districts in Sindh, one Metropolitan Corporation, six DMCs, three municipal corporations, 24 district councils, 37 municipal committees, 147 town committees, 560 union committees and 1,175 union councils. “They all are working and it is the only province of Sindh, which has functional local bodies.”

To a question, Shah brushed aside the impression that people were dying due to hunger in Tharparkar. “This notion has been developed by those who have never visited Thar and now Thar is one of the best developed cities of the province which has a vast and best road network, best employment opportunities and one of the well-equipped hospitals [DHQ Mithi] in the province,” he said.

In Tharparkar, the provincial government has invested $4 billion from its own resources and changed the lifestyle of the people of Thar by giving them employment, water facility through RO plants. “Yes, people have been criticising RO plants but whenever any RO plant in Thar has been made non-operational due to any reason, people of the area start staging protests for making the plant operational, which is manifestation of the performance of the RO plants,” he said.

To a question, the chief minister said that five IGPs have been transferred from Punjab, but when the provincial cabinet of Sindh requested for change of the incumbent IGP, the federal government in response demonstrated an unreasonable attitude.

He said that there were different forums (of the government) which approved development schemes. They include District Development Committee, which has the authority to approve schemes of worth Rs20 million, the Department of Development Board under the concerned secretary could approve a scheme of Rs40 million, the Department Development Working Party (DDWP) under Chairman P&D has the power to approves 10,000 million. Schemes worth Rs10,000 million are sent to the federal government for approval.

Shah said that law and order has been restored all over Sindh. “One can travel any time on any road all over Sindh, yes but there is a problem of street crime in the city, which is being controlled in an organised manner.” The chief minister responded each and every question of the new entrants in the civil service.

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