11 November 2004	Thursday	27 Ramazan 1425

KARACHI, Nov 10: The Rangers authorities have requested the Sindh government to transfer the water tankers service to the city district government of Karachi.

The request was made by Director-General, Pakistan Rangers, Sindh, Maj Gen Javed Zia in a meeting with Chief Secretary Muhammad Aslam Sanjrani at his office on Wednesday.

The meeting was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary (Local Government), Muhammad Saleem Khan; City Nazim, Naimatullah Khan; Secretary Home, Brig Ghulam Muhammad Muhtaram; Sindh Secretary (General Administration), Aijaz Hussain Kazi; Deputy Director-General Rangers, Brig Maqsood; Managing-Director of Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Brig Iftikhar Hyder; and the In charge of Water Tankers Service, Col Ehsan.

While elaborating the larger scope of the normal duties of Rangers personnel, Maj Gen Javed Zia pointed out that it was an added responsibility assigned to the Rangers in the past by the then governor. He requested for transferring the responsibility of water tanker service to the city government.

At present, he said, Ranger's resources were being used for water management in the deficit areas of Orangi, Baldia, and Surjani towns. This all was, however, being done at the cost of Rangers expenses, he claimed.

Maj Gen Javed Zia said that the transfer of water tankers responsibility to the city government would allow Rangers personnel to utilize the resources to security-related duties.

Considering the request, the meeting decided that the city government would evolve phase-wise system for this purpose in the next month.

It was further decided that the Additional Chief Secretary (Local Government) would coordinate to frame up a line of action on behalf of the Sindh government in collaboration with Rangers authorities and the city district government of Karachi, while KWSB managing-director would be the focal person to this effect.

Sindh Chief Secretary Aslam Sanjrani appreciated the efforts of Pakistan Rangers in organizing the tanker service for providing relief to the needy people.

He assured of his full cooperation on behalf of provincial government in transferring the water tanker service under the control of city government/ KWSB.

The chief secretary also emphasized that summer season must be kept in view for facilitating the people of water deficit areas.

Meanwhile, the city government has started lining up this system with immediate effect. -APP