KARACHI, April 19: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan on Tuesday announced a multi-dimensional strategy for an overall development of Lyari Town. Under the strategy, crime dens and other mafias would be removed to provide a relief to the people and development work would be initiated on priority.

“Because of neglect in the past, Lyari was made a kind of den by criminals where all sorts of crimes started taking place and mafias kept on strengthening themselves,” the governor said while speaking at a press conference.

Earlier, a high-level meeting was held at the Governor House to discuss issues relating to Lyari Town so as to end its backwardness and build it up as a model town of Karachi.

About street crimes, Mr Ibad said directives have been issued to IGPs for establishing special anti-street crimes cell in every town.

He said this cell would focus only on street crimes. He said directives have been issued to arrest all the gangs operating in Lyari and people be provided relief.

Mr Ibad said that the chief minister and he himself would undertake visits and address the problems that have been identified so far.

“An amount of Rs361 million had been approved for the uplift of the area. The work on Rs 261 million schemes had already been started, while the remaining schemes would be started soon.”

The governor said that bus terminals would be shifted from Lyari by the first or second week of June as the government sincerely wants to provide relief to the people of Lyari.

He said supply of water to Lyari areas had been increased from 100 to 200 tankers daily.

Dr Ibad also referred to electricity problem in Lyari and said the KESC has been activated to control the problem in an effective manner.

He said that two police posts in Lyari area are being upgraded with deployment of increased number of cops.

The governor said that a large number of NGOs are functioning in Lyari and the Chief Secretary has been asked to hold meetings with them and the government would support those organizations in the implementation of various welfare programmes for Lyari.

The governor also referred to provision of health facilities in the town and said that it has been decided that facilities at Lyari General Hospital would be upgraded.

As regards the sanitary conditions, he informed that city and Local Governments have been tasked to pool resources and launch an extensive cleanliness drive to start from next week.

He said in order to engage the Lyariites, plans are afoot to activate sports activities and steps are being taken in the light of ground realities.

He said that problems of Lyari were not addressed in the past. Although many people made political mileages, but nothing substantive was done for the people.

Minister for Planning and Development, Shoaib Bukhari and DCO Karachi Fazlur Rehman gave details of immediate development plans for improvement and construction of roads, water supply and sewerage systems

Home Minister Rauf Siddiqi informed that a three- member gang has been arrested for its involvement in snatching of mobile phones and and 56 sets have been recovered from their possession.

He said an Alto car which they were using for committing crimes and three TT pistols have also been recovered from them. —Agencies