‘Sindh spending Rs8bn on 99 development schemes across Karachi’

Sindh Local Government Minister Saeed Ghani on Sunday said the provincial administration is executing development schemes costing over Rs8 billion in all the towns of Karachi under the World Bank-funded Competitive & Liveable City of Karachi (CLICK) project.

Delivering a speech after inaugurating the newly renovated Baradari Park in Block-A of North Nazimabad, Ghani said that more development schemes costing around Rs10 billion would be launched in the city next month.

He said the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and its provincial government have nullified the false impression that it carries out development only in those areas that are considered the PPP’s strongholds.

He also said the provincial government has undertaken major development initiatives in the Korangi and Central districts. The LG department will be ordered to purge all parks and playgrounds of commercial activities, he added.

The minister said the renovation of the Baradari Park was undertaken under the CLICK project. The provincial government has been partnering with the municipal agencies in the city to develop and improve civic conditions, he added.

He said that 19 projects are being developed in District Central alone, with a total cost of Rs1.8 billion, under the CLICK project. The provincial government has been spending a total of Rs8.2 billion to complete 99 development projects under the CLICK project, he added.

Ghani said work would start on another 75 development projects under CLICK, with a cost of Rs9.9 billion, in April. He also said the local administration and residents are fully responsible for taking care of the newly renovated park.

He urged the masses to take care of all the public assets provided by the government to serve the city’s residents, including road networks, parks, playgrounds and transport systems.

He made the assurance that all the under-construction development projects are progressing expeditiously, pointing out that certain issues may have delayed the completion of a few development initiatives.

He said road networks, bridges, underpasses, parks, playgrounds, and other civic facilities and amenities have been built in the Korangi and Central districts. Public parks are being renovated and beautified on a priority basis for people’s recreation, he added.

He also said the relevant town administrations would take care of the renovated parks. The provincial government will come to the support of the town administration if it faces problems in the management of such public assets due to their limited resources, he added.