HYDERABAD: Council members criticize method of finalizing uplift schemes
By Our Correspondent
HYDERABAD, March 16: Members of the Hyderabad District Council on Wednesday dissociated themselves from 48 development schemes being executed under the Rs500 million governor’s package on the ground that they had not been consulted in the process of finalizing the schemes.They maintained that the schemes had been identified by the district nazim, DCO and three taluka nazims. They observed that millions of rupees would go down the drain because it would not be possible for the Hyderabad Development Authority to complete Rs120 million schemes by June this year.
The members were discussing utilization of funds under the governor’s package, as well as Rs120 million provided by the Sindh government last year for improvement of the water supply system.
Briefing the members about the progress of the schemes, convener Nawab Rashid Ali Khan said, “physical progress of the Rs120 million schemes is 30 per cent which are to be completed before June and it is to be seen whether the 70 per cent work will be completed in the remaining three months”.
He said non-appointment of a project director and then delegation of financial powers to him had caused the delay in execution of the Rs500 million governor’s package.
He said of the governor’s package, Rs125 million was released initially out of which Rs9 million was utilized on 48 schemes and the remaining funds and the second instalment of Rs125 million lapsed. He further said Rs100 million was released in November last year, Rs10 million of which was utilized.
Mr Khan said of Rs120 million, the released amount of Rs70 million would be spent on a chlorination plant and desilting of lagoons and clarifiers of filter plants.
Starting debate, Dr Ayaz Arain termed delay in completion of the development schemes mismanagement on part of HDA officials because, according to him, they lacked interest in the works. He called for appointment of a consultant for the schemes. Yousuf Qureshi supported Mr Arain’s demand.
He regretted that sewage had got mixed with water supply lines but the officials had not taken any notice of the matter.
He said since union council nazims had not been consulted in identification of the 48 works, they could not stand surety for their feasibility.
Mr Qureshi proposed a committee to monitor the works and said the HDA had failed even to purchase a desilting machine that cost only Rs300,000. He added that manholes were lying without covers, posing risk to lives of people, especially children.
At one stage the convener agreed to constitute a committee of members but for unknown reasons he avoided its formation.
Amidst slogans against the Water and Sanitation Agency, women members of the council smashed empty pitchers they had brought with them, regretting that people did not have even clean drinking water.
Sher Mohammad Pirzada spoke of supply of contaminated water to residents living Kotri downstream and said water supply lines required inter-connections, for which payment had been given to contractors. He further said chlorinators had not been installed at Hussainabad water works and people had to use untreated water.
Ghulam Hussain Magsi criticized the district nazim, taluka nazims and the DCO for not resolving the water problem.
