Lyari, PPP stronghold, beset by civic issues

MPAs cry out problems of their constituencies

KARACHI:

The pre-budget discussion continued for the fourth day in Sindh Assembly on Thursday. Members of the assembly, along with cabinet ministers, participated and shed light on the performance of their departments and future projects.

The session began with Deputy Speaker Naveed Anthony in the chair.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) member Yousuf Baloch stated that he was elected to the assembly from Lyari, which is a stronghold of PPP. The area faces severe issues, including 14 to 16 hours of electricity load-shedding daily and shortage of water. He urged the government to focus on resolving the problems of the area.

MQM's Irfan Mansoor said that budgets are presented, but no progress is visible on the ground.

Most of Sindh's projects are being funded by the World Bank and Asian Bank, so what is the Sindh government itself doing? The MPA from PS-129 has yet to take the oath. Nazimabad, once a posh area, now has its infrastructure completely destroyed.

MQM's Muhammad Daniyal highlighted the water issue in his constituency. He mentioned that a scheme exists for the Karsaz bypass, but no work has been done.

PPP's Ghulam Qadir Chandio demanded subsidies on tube wells for farmers. He stated that thousands of acres of land in Sukkur are waterlogged after rains, and pumping stations have become non-functional.

PTI's Sajid Hussain said his constituency comprises two towns. The population of the area is extremely poor, with no facilities available. There are no facilities for education, health, and security. No new projects have been initiated in his constituency for the past 30 years.

PPP's Farrukh Shah requested the chief minister to rebuild 23 schools in his constituency that were destroyed during the rains.

MQM's Anil Kumar pointed out that skilled workers are not getting job opportunities. He demanded the establishment of vocational centres for the people of Tharparkar, which would also help empower women.

MQM's Farhan Sohail said that a year ago, it was promised that the budget would be people-friendly. The public were shown golden dreams, but is this the way to govern?

He said that MQM has always been criticised for being critical. The government should be grateful to the opposition for guiding it in the right direction. He demanded that the upcoming budget include the PFC Award. He also stressed the need to update computer in syllabus, provide health cards and life insurance for the poor, introduce community policing, arrange alternative routes for heavy traffic in Karachi, allocate a separate budget for tree planting, and address the issue of encroachments, which is a major problem.