KARACHI, June 2: The new administration in Karachi Fish Harbour is working on a plan to cut the non-development expenditure and will provide adequate funds in the next fiscal for the welfare of the fishermen, it is learnt here.

According to a fisheries source, the new administration had taken a serious notice of the huge allocations made for the non-developmental sector in the past.

The source said the Fishermen Cooperative Society had only spent Rs32.0 million during the last three years on the betterment and welfare of the fishermen which comes to 8.2 per cent of the FCS income.

The FCS earned Rs130.0 million during the financial year 2001- 2002. Thus, a major portion of the funds had been made available for non-developmental activity.

The source said the new policy would be welfare-oriented and focus would be on health and education sectors.

The source conceded that the new administration will have to confront many challenges as it had inherited several administrative problems because of the wrong policies of the previous administration.

The problems which the administration may face include keeping hygienic conditions at the harbour, maintaining peaceful conditions, curbing embezzlement, taking steps for ending mutual disputes and bickering between fishermen, mole-holders, contractors and other stockholders.

Sindh Minister for Fisheries and Agriculture Manzoor Ahmed Panhwar, who took over as chairman of the Karachi Fisheries Harbour Authority (KFHA) and FCS, banned the use of harmful nets and settled the old dispute between the FCS and the KFHA.

But the real issue faced today is the administrative one which needs immediate attention and solution. After the departure of the Naval personnel, there has been an administrative vacuum in the harbour to look after the day-to-day affairs.

The old managerial structure, based on a controlled system of managers seems to have collapsed.