In maiden press conference, new LG minister repeats old rhetoric

Jam Khan Shoro says he will not let Karachi face shortage of funds

KARACHI: The newly appointed local government minister, Jam Khan Shoro, has said that in the light of the Sindh Assembly's bill for local government passed in 2013, the Karachi administrator and the respective District Municipal Corporation's (DMC) administrators have been given all due powers.

He was talking to the media at Civic Centre on Monday for the first time after taking charge as the local government minister.

Shoro said for the first time in Sindh, disaster management units are being established in metropolitan corporations, municipal corporations as well as municipal communities across the province. For this, he said, hundreds of young people will be trained by master trainers in the first phase.

Though the LG minister may have changed, the rhetoric seems to be the same. Reiterating the words of his predecessor, Shoro said they will not let Karachi face any shortage of funds.  "The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) and DMCs have limited resources, but we are trying to enhance their resources on an emergency basis," he said.

He added that in all the districts of Karachi, the KMC's jurisdictions over 28 main thoroughfares of the city would be enhanced so that the burden from the DMCs could be reduced.   In response to a question, Shoro said that Malir 15 flyover would be open to public by the end of December.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 1^st,  2015.