Rs200b is enough to make Sindh cleaner and greener, says CM

351 schemes of education department are underway in the province

KARACHI: "I dreamt of developing this province and now I can actualise my dream," said the new Sindh chief minister Murad Ali Shah.

"[An amount of] Rs200 billion is enough to make Sindh neater, cleaner and greener," he added, while presiding over a meeting on development portfolio of education, health, local government and works and services at New Sindh Secretariat on Thursday.

Development additional chief secretary Muhammad Waseem informed the CM that he had received 14 PC-Is of the development schemes being launched under the Karachi package.

Education secretary Syed Mumtaz Shah said that 351 schemes in six different sectors have been launched against an allocation of Rs13 billion. Out of 351 schemes, 140 are on-going and 211 are new.

Speaking about the six sectors, Mumtaz said it includes 94 schemes of elementary education, nine schemes of teachers' education, four schemes of Sindh Education Foundation, 118 schemes of secondary education, 75 schemes of college education and 51 schemes of different categories.



He informed that 33 schemes will be completed this year against an allocation of Rs1682.26 million for which 100% releases have been assured in two installments. He added that 63 schemes of Rs2.4 billion will be completed during the next financial year for which 50% releases have been assured.

He added that Rs4.16 billion development budget has been released so far which is unprecedented in history.

Works and services secretary Aijaz Memon said that there 613 schemes, being completed at the cost of Rs9 billion, including 602 of highways and 11 of buildings being executed by his department.

He said that the works department during 2015-2016 constructed 363 kilometres roads, repaired 555 kilometres and constructed 13 bridges. The chief minister directed the department to build quality structures and complete the projects on time.

Health secretary Ahmed Bux Narejo in his briefing said that their development portfolio stands is working on 146 schemes, at the cost of Rs14 billion, including 89 on-going schemes and 57 new schemes.

The meeting was attended by provincial ministers, including Dr Sikander Mandhro, Jam Mehtab Dahar, chief secretary Siddique Memon, principal secretary Alamuddin Bullo among others.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2016.