Daily Times

KARACHI: Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah has approved a plan to distribute free wheat bags among income-poor households in Thar region.

The decision came in the wake of visits to Thar by a committee constituted by the CM, under the leadership of Local Government Minister Jam Khan Shoro. The committee was tasked to visit the region to assess the overall situation and identify families in need of food aid.

Shoro after assessing the situation of all talukas and their outskirts and meeting with the residents reported to the CM that there was a drought-like situation in the area last year, however, the government did not declare Thar as a drought affected region – a declaration that paves the way for provision of aid – and therefore wheat and cattle fodder distribution could not take place.

The minister, in his report, said that there had been no improvement in the drought ever since the last year, and, therefore, there was a need for free provision of wheat bags.

The CM, on this recommendation by the minister, then approved distribution of wheat bags, each weighing 100 kg, among 287,000 families of Thar. This distribution will start towards the end of March and will be completed in April.

Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon has been asked to issue directives for the Mirpurkhas commissioner to start distribution of wheat and keep sending a daily progress report to the provincial government.

CM visits construction sites

Separately on Friday, CM Murad Ali Shah paid a surprise visit to various public infrastructure construction sites across the city to monitor pace of work.

He directed the local governments minister to expedite work and complete construction of these projects by the end of May.

Murad Ali Shah was accompanied by Local Governments Minister Jam Khan Shoro and South DMC Chairman Ayaz Malik. The first site visited on Friday was the Submarine Underpass. The CM was told that while work was in progress, one side of the underpass had been opened for traffic.

Murad Ali Shah later visited the Sunset Boulevard-Gizri Boulevard flyover where most of the pillars had been built. The project director, Niaz Soomro, briefed him through layout plan and assured him that the scheme would be completed by the end of May.

Murad and others with him drove through Saddar from Fuwara Chowk to the Zoological Garden where they inspected under construction roads. He directed Niaz Soomro to ensure that drainage pipes were properly laid down before carpeting of the road connecting the Fuwara Chowk with the Zoo. The major portion of road from Garden to Saddar has been completed, he was told. On his way back to the CM House, Murad got out of his car at Jahangir Park where visitors surrounded him and took selfies with him. The chief minister assured them that he would also build more parks in the city.

Published in Daily Times, March 17^th 2018.