Towards change: Govt committed to improving facilities in Thar, says CM

1,000 dengue kits handed over to district health officer to combat disease

KARACHI: The government is committed to change the lifestyle of people of Thar, vowed Chief Minister (CM) Murad Ali Shah. They will be provided basic facilities such as better water, health, infrastructure, transport, electricity and job opportunities, he added.

He said this while presiding over a meeting on the ongoing development schemes in Thar which was held at the New Secretariat on Tuesday.



Briefing the CM, additional chief secretary (development) Muhammad Waseem said that 17 on-going schemes worth Rs2,076.3 million will be completed by the end of June, 2017. For these schemes, Rs963.9 million has so far been released, he informed.

Moreover, there are 55 on-going district specific schemes launched for Rs10,498.3 million against which Rs8138.9 million have been released so far. Apart from these, 46 multiple districts schemes worth Rs4436.04 million are under construction for which Rs2247.1 million have been released till now, Waseem said further.

The CM was also briefed that two dams, Kalidas and Veeera Wah, in Nagarparkar area were launched for Rs7,03.3 million on February 18, 2015. So far, Rs3 million have been spent on the project. The elected representatives of the Thar area said that both the dams are necessary for the area. The CM directed his principal secretary Naveed Kamran Baloch to coordinate between irrigation and finance departments to expedite the progress of the project.

Combatting dengue

The CM remarked that he was worried about the outbreak of dengue in Thar, adding that he received reports that 150 cases of dengue fever have been reported in Tharparkar.



Most of the cases were referred to Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, Hyderabad, and the patients returned home after getting proper treatment. However, as many as 10 patients are still under-treatment at Civil Hospital, Mithi, it was revealed.

The CM said that on his instructions, 1,000 dengue kits were handed over to the district health officer (DHO) in Mithi. The government has sent seven fumigation machines to DHO Thar as well.

The elected people must ensure proper fumigation and distribution of 74,000 mosquito bed nets, he directed further.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2016.