May 15, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 12, 1424

HYDERABAD, May 14: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has assured industrialists that the provincial government will approach the federal government to declare Nooriabad Industrial Estate a tax-free zone for next five years.

He was addressing a reception hosted by the Nooriabad Association of Trade and Industry in Nooriabad on Wednesday. He said the government was making efforts to revive industrial estates in the province.

He constituted a committee, headed by the Sindh Minister for Commerce, Industry, and Labour, Mr Muhammad Adil Siddiqui to identify problems confronting the Nooriabad Estate and recommend for their solution within two weeks.

He said the recommendations should also include ways and means to resolve the problems of the workers also.

The governor said the Nooriabad Industrial Estate was neglected by previous rulers but the present government was determined to take measures for the development of this important industrial estate.

He said gas facility had already been provided to industrialists and provision of water, improvement of infrastructure and health and education facilities would also be provided on war footings.

Dr. Ibad said that water supply pipeline was being laid at a cost of Rs30 million and added that another pipeline would also be laid from Keenjhar Lake to meet the future requirements of the industrial estate.

He said the Sindh government was determined to provide all facilities including financial and technical to encourage investment and root out unemployment from the society.

The Sindh governor claimed that timely steps to improve law and order situation had restored the confidence of the investors, which was evident from the fact that all the plots available at Nooriabad site had been sold out for industrial purposes.

He said it was because of the interest shown by the investors, the provincial government had not only decided to upgrade the existing industrial estates in Nawabshah, Hyderabad, Mirpurkhas, Sukkur and Larkana but strategy had also been evolved to set up more industrial estates in the province.

He also announced the setting-up of a hospital in Nooriabad for workers.

Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Minister for Commerce, Industry, Labour and Transport, Mr. Muhammad Adil Siddiqui said that a special industrial zone was being set up at Nawabshah at a cost of Rs135.8 million and added that tens of millions of rupees were being spent on the development of small industrial estates in the interior of Sindh.

He announced that a bus terminal had been set up on super highway.