KARACHI, Aug 12: City Nazim Naimatullah Khan said on Tuesday that the development grant to each union council of Karachi has been increased to Rs6.4 million this year from Rs3.5 million released during 2002-03.

Speaking at a meeting of Nazims and councilors of Saddar, Lyari and Keamari towns on Monday, he said that union councils were institutions of basic democracy, which must be strengthened so that they could play an important role in promoting democracy at the grassroots.

He said President Gen Pervez Musharraf had convened a meeting of various departments and organizations functioning in the city on Aug 23 to take important decisions.

He said no conspiracy against the city government would succeed.

He called for a joint strategy by the towns and union councils with regard to health and sanitation programmes.

He asked the UCs to prepare sewerage schemes, work within the available resources and play their role towards development of the city.

On the occasion, Saddar Nazim Farooq Fariya, Lyari Naib Nazim Malik Mohammed Khan and others submitted the problems of their areas regarding health and sanitation.

Speaking at a Seeratun Nabi meeting at the Jinnah University on Tuesday, the Nazim said the ideology of Pakistan would be made part of syllabus in the city.—APP/PPI