Govt allocates Rs434m for RO plants

KARACHI:

Sindh Minister for Local Government and Public Health Engineering Saeed Ghani, has said the provincial government has allocated Rs434 million for the restoration of reverse osmosis (RO) water filtration plant in Islamkot of Tharparkar, as this allocation is not for any new development project.

Ghani was answering queries of the lawmakers during the question hour of the Sindh Assembly's session on Tuesday.

He told the concerned legislators that Islamkot's RO plant is a mega water filtration facility having the capacity to filter 1.5 million gallons of water daily.

He informed the house that the Engro Corporation had asked the Sindh government to sanction Rs1,400 million for the revival and operation of the RO plant. The then-provincial cabinet approved the grant, but another assistance of Rs600 million couldn't be provided, which was required to operate the plant for four years. He told the house that the former caretaker Sindh chief minister during his visit to Islamkot, formed a committee to evaluate the financial support required to restore the plant. The committee, in its report, recommended that the revival of the plant is possible for Rs434 million.

Today's youth unaware of MRD

Saeed Ghani, while speaking in the provincial assembly, stressed the significance of the Movement for Restoration of Democracy (MRD) launched in 1983 against the "tyrannical military dictatorship" at that time. Ghani spoke after PPP lawmaker Ghulam Qadir Chandio tabled a resolution in the house to honour the MRD martyrs. He regretted that "today's youth lack awareness of the MRD's importance." Various political parties, including JUI, JUP, ANP, PDP, Awami Tehreek, Qaumi Mahaz Azadi, and Tehreek-e-Istiqlal, had joined hands with the PPP to form the MRD in 1983, demonstrating the leadership's commitment to democracy and national progress, he said.