Daily Times

KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah on Sunday said he has started consulting lawmakers of different districts to review development portfolio to solve problems of the people.

“The glaring issues of Hyderabad are water and sanitation which I want to solve on top priority basis.”

He said this while presiding over four different meetings on Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Tando Muhammad Khan and Jamshoro. The meetings were attended by provincial ministers, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani, Dr Sikandar Mendhro, Jam Mehtab Dahar, Jam Khan Shoro, Imdad Pitafi and concerned MNAs, MPAs and senators, chairman P&D M Waseem, Commissioner Hyderabad Sohail Rajput and elected representatives of local bodies.

Hyderabad: MNA Ameer Ali Shah, MPA Sharjeel Memon and Maula Bukhsh Chandio attended the meeting. The meeting was informed that Rs 6.3 billion worth 98 ADP schemes of 19 departments were in progress in Hyderabad district against which over Rs 4 billion have been released and the expenditures of around Rs 3 billion have been made.

The chief minister said that he has released 100 percent funds for 28 schemes which would be completed by the end of June 2017. He added that he was working hard to provide clean water to Hyderabad district, particularly to the city. He directed Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro to overhaul entire water filtration system and explore new water resources for the city.

Local government Minister Jam Khan Shoro said that there were four filtration plants in the city and he was working for installation two more plants for which location was being explored.

He said that the water provided to the city was being taken from downstream Kotri but now he was working to take water from upstream because comparatively it was clean and better. He also added that most of the water storage ponds have silted and now instead of de-silting them he was planning to construct new ponds.

Chandio pointed out the civil hospital was good but there was dire need to make it more facility-oriented. On this Dr Sikandar Mendhro said that he had ensured to provide medicines and equipment to Civil Hospital but there was a shortage of doctors. On this Commissioner Hyderabad Sohail Rajput said that he kept visiting hospitals off and on. The Qasimabad hospital was also good and providing good services but it was also facing shortage of manpower. On this the chief minister said that he was going to appoint 6000 doctors and with their induction shortage of doctors would be over.

The chief minister also expressed his displeasure on releasing industrial waste into canals. He directed commissioner to take drastic steps to stop it.