HYDERABAD, Sept 27: District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman has demanded that the Sindh government should authorize the district government for executing the Hyderabad Development Plan with the support of 18-division of the army.

The Nazim said this while speaking at a meeting held here on Friday to discuss the implementation of the project.

He said that he had already written to the provincial ministers, MPAs and MNAs of the district for inclusion of their schemes in the plan and the Sindh governor should call a joint meeting of the district government and the MPs of the district to ensure their full participation in the development plan.

About engaging the Frontier Works Organization in the development works, he said that the he had no objection over engaging it on mega projects in the city but works identified in rural talukas were of minor nature and should be got completed through other agencies.

He also listed separate development announcements made by Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali during his recent visit to Hyderabad which included repair and widening of airport approach road, development of Hyderabad Airport for cargo service, clearance of Rs100 million liabilities of old municipal corporation, providing sui gas to Saeedabad, implementing water supply scheme of Hala and establishment of Export Processing Zone in Hyderabad.

The Nazim also gave the details of beautification programme of Hyderabad.

Speaking at the meeting, additional chief secretary, development, Sindh, Ghulam Sarwar Khero, asked the district government to submit the master plan of the project so that work on it could be started as soon as possible.

He also asked the district government to forward the feasibility reports of the development schemes, announced by the prime minister separately for Hyderabad, to the planning and development department so that they may be processed for implementation.

The ACS informed the meeting that the master project would be completed in five years at a cost of Rs10.5 billion which would be equally shared by the provincial and federal governments.

Mr Khero said that for the execution of the project, priority would be given to the FWO but it would have to compete for the tenders of works, otherwise special permission would be needed.

He also directed that before including schemes of roads or fly-overs, the availability of land be ensured, besides keeping provision of drainage for storm water and foot-path for pedestrians.

Appreciating the proposal of the district Nazim about presenting the master plan in the district council before submitting it to the planning and development department, Mr Khero said that participation of the provincial ministers and MPAs/MNAs of the district should also be ensured.

The ACS said that apart from Rs200 million city beautification plan, the Sindh chief minister had sanctioned Rs37 million for the uplift of the city zoo.

The director general, planning and development, Mohammad Ali Khaskheli, stressed that cost escalation factor and establishment of project implementation unit be considered in the planning.

District Naib Nazim Nawab Rashid Ali Khan, Hyderabad Development Authority head Ali Ahmed Lund and others also attended the meeting.