UNDP to launch two uplift programmes: Poverty alleviation
KARACHI, Dec 10: The UNDP will initiate two programmes under the National Urban Poverty Alleviation Programme in backward localities of Karachi and Naushero Feroze.
This was stated by UN Resident Coordinator in Pakistan and UNDP's Resident Representative Onder Yucer, who called on Sindh Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim at Chief Minister's House here on Friday.
Onder Yucer said that one of the programmes envisaged sewerage, roads, brick pavement of alleys, education, health and revenue generation schemes to attempt for alleviation of poverty.
He said that people would be activated through district and city governments under the programme. Under the UNDP, he disclosed, a bio-saline programme was also being started whereby waterlogged and salinity affected lands would be improved for cultivation and PC-I in this regard was being prepared. He said that saline water would be treated and used for land irrigation.
The chief minister pointed out that Hyderabad, Thatta, Badin, Larkana and other cities should also be included in future programmes. He also stressed on proper planning for all such schemes.
Arbab Rahim suggested installation of wind mills by taking advantage of air availability in lower Sindh. Through the wind mills, he said, the saline water could be drained out on the one hand and electricity could be generated on the other.
Onder Yucer assured that chief minister's proposals would be given due consideration. Meanwhile, an introductory meeting of sub-committee on Sindh Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (Sindh PRSP) was held under the chairmanship of Sindh Minister for Planning and Development Shoaib Ahmed Bukhari.
The meeting was attended by Sindh Revenue Minister Imtiaz Ahmad Shaikh, Education Minister Dr Hameeda Khuhro, Sindh Population Welfare Minister Syed Ali Bakhsh Shah alias Papu Shah, Sindh Minister for Women Development Dr Saeeda Malik, Acting Additional Chief Secretary (Dev) Anzar Hussain Zaidi and Ghulam Mustafa Abro of the Poverty Alleviation Programme.
Addressing the meeting, Shoaib Bukhari said that poverty incidence all over the world was rapidly increasing. In this regard, he criticized the policies imposed by the international financial institutions like World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
He pointed out that poverty should be reduced to 50 per cent by the year 2015, according to the Minimum Development Goals (MDGs) and Pakistan was also a signatory of the MDGs. To follow the international development policy, Pakistan had prepared its Poverty Reduction Paper in consultation with the provinces, he said.
The minister said that Sindh PRSP had accordingly been prepared with UNICEF financial assistance and professional support of the consultants with inputs provided by district governments for which six workshops were held at district level and one at provincial level. -APP
