KARACHI, Aug 20: Sindh Chief Secretary Dr Mutawakkal Kazi has called for preparation and implementation of development programmes at district level to alleviate poverty from the province and provide maximum employment opportunities to public.

In this regard, he said, the district governments would have to devise their programmes effectively and expeditiously for which the provincial government and administration would extend all possible cooperation.

He stated this while addressing a meeting of the Secretaries Committee at Sindh Secretariat here on Wednesday. The meeting, which continued for five and a half hours, reviewed a number of development projects, including DERA, KPP-III and IV, ADP, 100mgd K-III water supply scheme, utilization of funds released to district governments, Tawana Pakistan Programme, Northern Bypass, Lyari Expressway, irrigation development projects, Thar Coal project, Gorakh Hill project, development schemes for coastal areas, besides performance of relief and rehabilitation operation in the rain and flood affected areas.

Addressing the meeting, the chief secretary spoke about the steps taken for provision of adequate quantity of ration to the flood affected people. He expressed hoped that they would be fully helped by utilizing the available resources.

To resolve the issues of HESCO and KESC, the meeting constituted a committee that would complete its exercise by Sept 2003. The committee comprises chief secretary, additional chief secretary local government, secretary finance and representatives of the concerned departments.

In the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary Planning Ghulam Sarwar gave a briefing on development projects.

District Nazim Khairpur expressed dissatisfaction over certain administrative problems and objections from the District Coordination Officer. On this, the chief secretary asked ACS Local Government Mohammed Saleem Khan to instruct all DCOs not to nullify the approved budgets through objections under the laid down rules and regulations.

Senior Member Board of Revenue Manzoor Hussain Bhutto urged the DCOs to send a detailed report about the funds utilized in relief operations within next two days so that a coordinated preparation could be made for the forthcoming Sindh Assembly session.

For carrying out relief works, he informed that Rs40 million were released for Badin district, Rs15 million for Thatta, Rs50 million for Tharparkar, Rs100 million each for Karachi and Hyderabad, Rs25 million each for Larkana and Dadu and Rs2 million for Shikarpur.

Nazim Karachi Naimatullah Khan showed delight over the conducive conduct of the secretaries in the meeting.

All secretaries, Nazims, DCOs and Managing Director KESC Brig Tariq Saddozai attended the meeting.—APP/PPI