LARKANA, July 8: Sindh government would receive three billion rupees from the federal government for further distribution among the district governments , the Additional Chief Secretary for Planning and Development Ghulam Serwar Khero said here on Thursday while addressing the closing ceremony of three-day training workshop for district officers.

"It was government's firm policy to boost the newly introduced system of district governments aiming at assisting them to stand on their own feet," said Mr Khero. He also added that the government was actively considering establishing a full-fledged finance and planning department in each district to ensure proper planning at the district level

The workshop which was jointly organized by UNICEF and the Planing Department focused on the final day on setting up a rehabilitation centre for AIDS patients in Larkana, providing potable water to Shahdadkot and promoting girls education in the district.

The Executive District Officer (Health) told the participants that after India, it was Larkana where many new cases of AIDS were detected. The majority of the cases were intravenous drug users he said, adding that so far 85 confirmed cases had been identified in the district.

He disclosed that according to the surveys conducted by NGOs there are around 2,000 drug users in Larkana City alone. The number of drug users in Larkana district may exceed 5,000 he said.

Muhammed Alam Thaheem of the Education Group and Ferozuddain Memon from the Public Health Engineering departments submitted two plans regarding girls' education and provision of sweet water to Shahdadkot.

Mr Khero said that government may increase the grant in aid funds to each union council from Rs.50,000 at present to Rs.100,000 so that the union council will be able to develop their areas.

He said that with the collaboration of UNICEF the Planning & Development Department has prepared a joint report for the Poverty Alleviation Programme and sent it to the Federal government for approval in which every sector has been fully addressed.

He disclosed that the newly prepared schedule rates was under printing and it would be implemented from the month of September 2004 in Sindh province, replacing the old one so as to facilitate different departments. The DCO Dr Badaruddin Ujjan and Nazeer Ahmed Bughio the acting district nazim welcomed the participants and the sponsors for holding such a workshop.