HYDERABAD: Nazim’s proposal on frozen fund invited
Bureau Report
HYDERABAD, Oct 2: The adviser to the Sindh chief minister for local government has asked the Hyderabad district Nazim to send a proposal for restoration of the frozen amount of transaction fund of Rs64 million to his ministry.
The adviser, Waseem Akhtar, also said that proposals regarding effective implementation of Hyderabad Greater Sewerage Project and Hyderabad Development Package and sanctioning of a grant equal to octroi tax with 10 per cent annual increase should be sent to his ministry to get the issues resolved.
This, he said, while speaking to taluka Nazims and the district government officers at the district Nazim Secretariat here on Wednesday.
Referring to the announcement of Hyderabad Development Package by the prime minister and Greater Hyderabad Sewerage Project by the former governor, he said that both the federal and provincial governments were taking keen interest in the development of Hyderabad which was neglected by the rulers in the past.
He said that the promulgation of the Sindh Local Government Ordinance was a revolutionary step to institutionalize the participation of the people in development works.
However, he conceded that some problems were being experienced in the implementation of the power devolution system and added that the situation was being monitored to keep the system on right track.
Speaking at the meeting, District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman demanded that the district government be authorized to implement the Hyderabad Greater Sewerage Project through its project director.
He reiterated his demand that a project director for Hyderabad Development Package be appointed by Oct 10.
He also demanded that share of octroi tax be granted to the district government with 10 per cent annual increase to enable the taluka municipal administrations (TMAs) to meet their requirements.
He also sought the provision of required technical staff to each TMA for smooth development works.
PHED: Meanwhile, speaking to the Public Health Engineering Department officers during a briefing held in the office of the Hyderabad PHED chief engineer, Mr Akhtar directed them to extend their services to the people at their door steps.
Chief Engineer Ashiq Hussain Yousfani said that his department had played a vital role in providing basic facilities to the people and would continue to do so in future.
The director technical, PHED, Hyderabad, Nazir Soomro, said that due to devolution of powers in the local government department, many administrative and technical problems had been created for the employees and development schemes as well.
He demanded that the work of the department should be limited to executing water supply and sanitation schemes.
BUS STOP: The Matiari Samaji Ittehad, a coalition of 22 political, religious and social welfare organizations of the Matiari town, has demanded restoration of old bus terminal.
Speaking at a news conference here at the press club on Thursday, alliance leaders Mumtaz Shah, Javed Akhund Siddiqui, Haji Sarang Mangwano, Pir Abdul Wahab Sarhandi, Akhund Abdul Aziz Siddiqui and others said the new bus terminal was one kilometre away from the town and creating a host of difficulties for the people, especially women, as no facility existed there.
They said the alliance had been struggling against the terminal since last six months and the Taluka and district councils had also passed resolutions for the restoration of old bus terminal but the highway authorities had refused to oblige.
They said people had also observed a shutter down strike and staged protest demonstrations on the National Highway.
They demanded of the authorities to restore the old bus terminal, provide protection to leaders of the alliance and order the transfer of TPO Matiari.
