KARACHI, Aug 12: Sindh governor Dr Ishratul Ibad has reiterated the determination of the government to provide basic amenities on priority basis to the areas ignored in the past.

The governor, who was addressing the inaugural function of the Government Mono-Technic Institute at Landhi-Korangi on Tuesday, said that the people of the locality had faced enough hardships over the last ten years and now the time had come to provide them educational, health and other basic amenities of life.

The governor commended the planning and development minister for his efforts to rehabilitate the building in two months for establishing the institute. The work on this institute had begun in 1992 and was later abandoned as the building had been taken over by a law enforcing agency. The building has now been vacated and the project completed.

Governor Ibad urged the authorities to pay attention to the other pending projects of health and education and expedite the work to complete them at the earliest. He expressed the hope that the mono-technic institute, the first of its kind to impart training of diploma in textile dying and printing, would set high standards of education and children, not only of Landhi-Korangi but of the entire Karachi, would benefit from the institute.

He said such skill-training projects would have a positive effect on the economy of the province and help solve the problem of unemployment. He said unemployment was a big issue and it was not possible for government institutions to provide jobs to every individual. He added that the problem could only be overcome by creating self-employment opportunities.

In that connection, he said, that banks and other financial institutions had been given instructions to provide funds for starting small-scale business and self-employment schemes.

Speaking on this occasion, provincial minister for planning and development, Shoaib Bokhari, said the institute would be turned into a centre of excellence gradually.

Governor Ibad earlier inaugurated the institute building and visited its departments along with other officials including DCO Mir Hussain Ali and EDO colleges Prof Raees Alvi.

The governor on Tuesday afternoon also visited different localities of Landhi Korangi where he inspected the ongoing development projects and the cleanliness drive. He also received applications from people regarding various problems. He also announced a grant of Rs50,000 for a handicapped child for treatment.