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Friday March 29, 2024

CM reviews progress on 73 health, education schemes

By Our Correspondent
December 04, 2018

Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah has directed the provincial health and education departments to complete their hospitals and school schemes within the stipulated time or strict action would be taken against the relevant project directors.

He said this on Monday while presiding over a meeting to review the progress of 73 provincial development schemes which have been delayed for different reasons. Minister for Health Dr Azra Pechuho, Minister for Education Syed Sardar Shah, Planning & Development Chairman Mohammad Waseem, Principal Secretary to the CM Sajid Jamal Abro, Additional Chief Secretary Health Dr Usman Chachar, Education Secretary Qazi Shahid Parvez and others attended the meeting.

The progress made on District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Dadu, 15 comprehensive schools, 16 English-medium schools and 41 emergency-cum-trauma centres was reviewed. P&D Chairman Mohammad Waseem told the chief minister that seven Taluka Headquarters Hospitals/DHQ Hospitals have been accommodated in the Annual Development Programme 2018-19 with an allocation of Rs18.2 billion, of which Rs9.6 billion have been utilised in the current financial year.

The projects include the expansion of DHQ Hospital Mithi for Rs1.6 billion, up-gradation of THQ Hospital to DHQ Hospital level in Tando Muhammad Khan, Badin and Tando Allahyar districts for Rs1.7 billion, the expansion of Khairpur, Badin and Shikarpur DHQ Hospitals for Rs3.44 billion, among several others.

The health secretary told the CM that eight DHQs – Tando Muhammad Khan, Tando Allahyar, Kotri, Shikarpur, Sanghar, Mirpur Mathelo and Naushehro Feroze – would made functional by December 30 this year, while DHQ Hospitals Mirpurkhas, Dadu, Matiari, Umerkot and Kambar would be made functional by June 30, 2019.

Education Secretary Qazi Shahid Parvez informed CM Shah that 16 English-medium schools were being constructed in 16 districts for Rs4.7 billion. Of these, 15 are ready to start while the school in Hyderabad was yet to be completed.

According to him, in Package-A, three schools were constructed in Nawabshah, Sukkur and Larkana, while four schools were being constructed in Package-B in Thatta, Badin, Kotri and Sujawal. Similarly, in package-C, four schools are being built in Ghotki, Khairpur, Naushehro Feroze and Sanghar. The chief minister issued directives for the inspection of the buildings and sought a report within 15 days.

Parvez said that in Package-D, five schools are being built in Hyderabad, Tando Muhammad Khan, Mirpurkhas, Tando Allahyar and Hala, and they are yet to be visited for inspection.

The education secretary further said that the construction of 15 comprehensive schools was under way for Rs5.7 billion in Thatta, Bathoro, Golarchi, Hyderabad, Matiari, Kotri, Umerkot, Tando Allahyar, Mirpurkhas, Ubauro, Shahdadkot, Khairpur, Dadu, Sanghar and Nawabshah. Six of these schools were ready, he said.

CM Shah directed the P&D chairman to visit the schools and report to him about their quality and pace of work. “I cannot compromise on the quality of work, and shortly I’ll personally visit health and educational facilities in different districts,” he said.