KARACHI: Karachi gets 15pc more funds under Sindh ADP
By Aamir Shafaat Khan
KARACHI, June 16: A total of Rs930 million has been allocated for Karachi under the Annual Development Plan (ADP) for the year 2003-2004 out of a total allocation of Rs4.526 billion for the 16 districts of Sindh.
The allocation for the mega-city and the total ADP allocation is 15 per cent and 17 per cent higher, respectively, when compared to the last fiscal’s allocation of Rs810 million and Rs3.874 billion.
According to the sector-wise or district-wise breakup of ADP, a sum of Rs344 million has been earmarked for education and literacy for Karachi as compared to last year’s Rs292 million, showing a rise of 17 per cent.
The physical planning and health sector gets Rs205 million in this fiscal, thus showing a rise of 35 per cent in PP&H allocation. New schemes include: improvement and renovation of sewerage system in Korangi, Landhi, Liaquatabad, Azizabad, Malir, Model Town, Gulshan-i-Iqbal, Shah Faisal, New Karachi, Gulbarg, North Nazimabad, Orangi, Lyari, Saddar, Site, Jamshed Town, and Keamari; construction of flyover at Sohrab Goth; improvement of Rashid Minhas Road; construction of bridge connecting Banaras Town with Shahrah-i-Orangi, and; construction of flyover at Hassan Square.
The health sector has been allocated Rs129.4 million in new fiscal. Some of the new schemes include: construction of a 36-bedded hospital in Gulbarg; requirement for equipment in maternity home in Landhi; construction of 50-bedded hospitals in Metroville, Site Town and North Nazimabad Block T; construction of maternity home in Ghazi Town, UC-5 Jaffer-i-Tayyar Society; upgradation of defunct KMC hospital to general Karachi Hospital in Model Town, and; improvement of Spencer Eye Hospital.
The culture and tourism sector has been allocated a sum of Rs5 million out of the total Rs930 million ADP allocation for Karachi. New schemes under culture and tourism include: development of a football ground in Lyari, Bin Qasim, Gadap and Keamari; and, development of park and playground at ST-7 Block N, North Nazimabad. In the last fiscal, an amount of Rs5.942 million had been allocated for this sector.
The science and information technology sectors have been earmarked Rs17.5 million in 2003-2004 as compared to no allocation in the last fiscal. Allocation has been made only for Karachi under this head.
For 2003-2004 new schemes in IT for Karachi include: setting up of a local area network for City District Government Karachi Complex; improvement in Land Management System; development of CDGK website; improvement in birth and death registration system; and, computer networking project for finance and planning group of offices.
Surprisingly, no allocation has been made for environmental improvement, manpower and employment sectors in Karachi for 2003-2004. In the 2002-2003 budget, a total of Rs10 million had been earmarked for environmental improvement followed by Rs8.9 million for manpower and employment.
City’s forest, wildlife and CDS sectors also get no allocation in this fiscal as compared to Rs3.05 million specified for these sectors in 2002-2003.
An amount of Rs8 million has been allocated for the city’s agriculture sector. Last year there was no allocation in this category. New schemes include; Tissue Laboratory in Karachi, construction of four veterinary centres; disease control programme; and, improvement of environment and conservation of soil at Thaddo Dam.
The columns of forest/wildlife, industries, mines and mineral development, water and power, transport and communication, rural development, social welfare, manpower and employment, emergent works, priority programme, social programme, statistical and economic research, environment, woman development, special projects and population and welfare department also show “no allocation of amount for Karachi” under the ADP for the year 2003-2004.
The budgetary allocation for new schemes for Karachi is Rs172 million while Rs 50million has been allocated for abandoned schemes.
