KARACHI: Paucity of funds hits 30 schemes in Lyari
By Latif Baloch
KARACHI, Dec 28: Work on more than 30 development schemes in Lyari Town is in doldrums due to paucity of funds. These schemes were prepared by the town administration under the Special Development Plan
, funding for which had been promised by the Sindh government.
The schemes comprise repair of street and link roads, renovation of community halls, parks, monuments and mechnical and electrical works. When contacted, the town nazim admitted that works on several uplift projects could not be carried out due to shortage of funds.
He said under the present arrangement, the town administration could not undertake any development work because of financial constraints. The nazim said the town had been totally dependent on the Sindh and city government for its financial management, because of having no other major revenue resource.
He reminded that during his last visit to the town, Sindh governor had announced a special package of Rs50 million for improvement of civic works in Lyari Town. Earlier, authorities had made similar pledges which had not been honoured so far, he deplored.
In this connection, the town nazim said that the town administration had prepared 39 development schemes costing Rs79.027 million, and submitted them to the provincial and the city governments for the release of funds.
He deplored that the scheme proposals had been returned to the town after being kept at different offices after a considerable period, adding that all these facts were also brought to the governor's notice in a letter dated Dec 12, 2004.
A survey shows that work on 25 internal link and street raods in different UCs had suffered due to lack of funds. These included Shah Waliuallah Road in UC-2 and 4, Ghausia Road in UC-1, Moosa Chaudhry Road (UC-5), Old Union Committee (UC-6), D.D Chaudhary Road from Shah Bhittai Road to Tannery Road, Emergency Road UC-8, Haji Bachal Road, Bihar Colony UC-7, Abdul Rahim Lasi Road UC-8, Darya Khan Road UC-9, Usman Brohi Road from New Kumarwara to Mirza Adam Khan Road, Hari Masjid Road UC-11, Hassan Ali Mir Mohammad Road in UC-11, Abu Bakar Road in UC-8, Haji Jumma Road in UC-6, CC Street in Eidgah Juman Shah Plot, Toosi Shaheed Road from Mirza Adam Khan Road to Ghausi Road UC-1, Mir Mohammad Baloch Road from Shah Latif Bhittai Road to Sheedi Village Road UC-5, besides construction of a community centre at Lassi Mohalla in UC-9, an industrial home near Sheedi Village Road, UC-5, a community centre at UC-3.
Not only that, the renovation works in a number of parks and monuments had also suffered. These included Bihar Colony Park (UC-7), Delhi Park (UC-1), Mohammad Johar Park (Kakri Ground), Gabol Park, Shukat Park (UC-8), Chakiwara Park (UC-10), Gulistan Colony Park (UC-8) and Ismail Shaheed Park UC-5.
The list also included the schemes pertaining to supply of streetlight fitting and other accessories, supply of bracket wires, purchase of two Bobcats, fabrication of refuse containers for health vehicles, and supply of tyres for vehicles.
