Neglected city: Hopes high as Sukkur gets Rs22b

SCCI president says the funds, if spent in proper manner, could change city’s fate

SUKKUR: Most of the cities in upper Sindh, particularly Sukkur and Larkana, are in a shambles. From roads, drainage, sanitation and water supply to education and health, the state of affairs is not very smooth. In these times of despair, a ray of hope has emerged with the allocation of Rs22 billion and Rs27 billion for Sukkur and Larkana divisions, respectively. Nonetheless, the condition for uplift is utilisation of funds in the right direction.

The Sindh government, in its budget for the fiscal year 2016-2017, announced development packages for Sukkur and Larkana divisions. This is the first time that such packages have been included in the annual budget as such packages used to be announced separately over time in yesteryears. During the eight years of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government in Sindh, Sukkur received Rs25 billion while Rs85 billion were spent in Larkana in the name of special packages. However, such huge amounts were unable to change the face of the city.



The Sukkur Development Alliance (SDA), comprising of different political and religious parties and civil society, was formed to launch a protest movement against the loot and plunder of development funds, due to which Sukkur, the third largest city of the province, has been turned into ruins.

SDA president Jawed Memon said that billions of rupees have been looted in the name of development packages during the last eight years. He criticised how funds are not utilised in the right direction. According to him, the administration has started carpeting some roads of the city, including Bunder Road and Minara Road, which seems to be a cosmetic arrangement as these roads are going to wash away with one torrential rain.

“I hope that this time funds will be utilised properly,” he said. He was of the view that with proper use of such huge funds, the fate of Sukkur division could be changed but there is very little hope. According to him, the fact that despite lapse of 17 years, the construction of the building for Ghulam Mohammad Mahar Medical College, Sukkur, is still incomplete reflects the government’s lack of sincerity. “This time, too, majority of the funds will go to Khairpur district, the home town of the chief minister,” he said. Sukkur Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Aamir Ghauri said that Sukkur deserves to be developed as is the third largest city of the province. “This package, if spent properly, would change the fate of the city,” he said.

According to him, when the government spends Rs100 on infrastructure, private entrepreneurs are naturally encouraged to spend Rs1,000 because investors spend their money when they see that the government is making sincere efforts towards development. “As far as the common people are concerned, they want better civic facilities, including potable water, proper drainage and sanitation, better ways of communication and, above all, good education and health,” he said. “I welcome this package and am hopeful that every penny of it will be spent properly.”

Talking about the Larkana package, PPP Workers president Dr Safdar Abbasi said that past packages of Rs85 billion failed to change the fate of Larkana division as majority of the funds were pocketed. “The package of Rs27 billion is nothing as compared to Rs85 billion,” he said, stressing that the condition for development is the proper utilisation of funds.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 13^th, 2016.