Rs42b allocated for developing the province

KARACHI:

The Sindh government has given prime importance to Karachi in its development portfolio and allocated Rs42 billion for Karachi-based schemes in the annual development programme (ADP) 2014-2015.

But this is not enough as Karachi requires a special package from the federal government which will be in the country's larger interest. In the budget, the Sindh government has identified areas in which such a package will need to be disbursed, including building control and city development.

The government claimed that the mega projects which had already been launched were suffering a setback due to lack of focus by the federal government.

K-IV and S-III Schemes

The two major projects - the Greater Karachi Water Supply Scheme (K-IV) and Greater Karachi Sewerage Plan (S-III) - have been given hefty allocations in the budget. For K-IV and S-III, Rs849 million and one billion rupees have been allocated respectively.

The federal government had initially not allocated any amount for the projects until the provincial government raised the issue forcing them to allocate Rs200 million each in their budget for the projects.

Special Packages

An amount of Rs13.23 billion has been earmarked for special development packages in various districts, including Hyderabad, Shaheed Benazirabad, Larkana, Sukkur, Dadu, Sanghar, Mirpurkhas, Tharparkar, Jacobabad, Kashmore, Thatta, Sujawal and Karachi.

This year, Tharparkar was hit by a drought causing more than 100 deaths; therefore the government has decided to allocate a special package of Rs500 million for the Thar Development Plan and Rs400 million as the Tharparkar package.

Keeping in view the health needs of Tharparkar and other remote regions of Sindh, a project of 12-bedded Mobile Health Unit is included in the ADP with an allocation of Rs1.2 billion.

The government has allocated Rs500 million for developing a master plan for Larkana to integrate the development initiatives taken through Larkana Development Package. This is to prepare a master plan which will identify present and future needs and directions for development of Larkana.

New special developments will be initiated in Jacobabad, Kashmore, Tharparkar, Dadu, Larkana, Sanghar and Karachi and a total of Rs6,815 million has been allocated for the new development packages. In addition, Rs4.9 billion have been allocated for the ongoing schemes.

For Karachi, new schemes include improving storage and conveyance system of the Hub Dam for the water supply to Karachi and improving a three-kilometre road from Saforah Chowrangi to Saadi Town while Rs1.2 billion have been kept for the ongoing schemes, including flyovers and reconditioning of roads in different areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 14^th, 2014.