Justice Hani orders transfer of Sukkur, Larkana water, drainage schemes

SUKKUR: The Chairman Water Commission of Sindh, former Justice Ameer Hani Muslim, directed the divisional commissioners and mayors of Sukkur and Larkana to stop outsourcing the purchasing without the consent of the district administration.

While chairing a meeting on Friday, Justice Hani directed the mayors and DCs that the purchase would be made zone-wise and no free hand would be given to the municipal committees.

Justice Muslim also directed handing over of the Reverse Osmosis plants, general water supply and drainage schemes of Larkana and Sukkur to the Public Health Engineering Department and directed the mayors to transfer the human resource department to the Public Health Department immediately. He said the inefficiency of the municipal staff and the management of the water supply schemes is the main cause of the transfer orders.

Expressing the resolve to get the orders of the Supreme Court for provision of clean-drinking water to the people implemented, Justice Hani directed the mayors and DCs to ensure all the water supply schemes are in proper functioning order.

He expressed annoyance at the mayor of Sukkur, Arslan Islamuddin Sheikh, for not ensuring supply of clean and filtered water to the city and said the citizens of the city are forced to consume contaminated water.

The chairman Water Commission Sindh ordered the city mayor to remove all the illegal constructions and encroachments, and asked as to why earlier orders to the effect were not carried out. Terming the plight of the city as unacceptable and that nothing has changed there in the last 40 years, Justice Hani said the city resembles the ruins of Moen-Jo-Daro.

Justice Hani criticised the mayor of Larkana about complaints of his undue interference in the municipal affairs. Citing the example of municipal commissioner Larkana, who got himself posted out of the city , he said due to the mayor’s attitude, the municipal officers are not prepared to work under him.

Justice Hani said he would investigate the million-rupee-scam in the clean-drinking water supply scheme of Bakhshapur, Thul and indicated that a reference would be sent to the NAB. He also directed the officials to establish landfill sites for proper disposal of city’s garbage.

Moula Bux Dharejo, Project Director, Public Health Engineering Department, briefed the meeting about the functional and non functional water supply schemes. He said over 700 employees of the municipal committees would be transferred to the Public Health Engineering Department following the transfer orders.