KARACHI, June 20: The Sindh Chief Secretary, Fazlur Rehman, called upon the officials of the Planning and Development Department, to particularly ensure that industrial effluent or other contaminations did not mix with drinking water. He issued these directives during a briefing on the Planning and Development department by the Additional Chief Secretary Development Ghulam Sarwar Khehro.

It was decided that capacity building of the planning section of every administrative department would be strengthened while concerted steps would be taken to make evaluation and monitoring cells more active and functional.

It was decided that the monitoring system would be made effective under a coordinated strategy for timely completion of development schemes by maintaining their quality.

It was further decided that steps would be taken for the construction of 42,000 water courses through the coordinated efforts of agriculture department and district governments.

The meeting decided that during 2005-06 timely release of funds would be ensured along with effective monitoring of projects while additional chief secretary (development), secretary finance and secretary services would recommend the officials and staff for posting for development projects with mutual consultation.

In the briefing exchange of views took place with regard to revamping of the irrigation system, Drought Emergency Relief Assistance (DERA), Khushhal Pakistan Programme (KPP), Annual Development Programme (ADP), Decentralised Elementary Education Programme (DEEP) and World Bank Assistance Programme.

It was emphasised that steps would be augmented for providing employment to the unemployed workforce by strengthening the activation of projects.

Mr Khehro informed that restructuring of Sindh Regional Plan Organization had been done and now posting of experts was under consideration.

Appreciating the performance of Planning and Development Department, the chief secretary called for promoting liaison and monitoring at every level and services of concerned officers should be so strengthened that their performance could be adjusted in their career development.

With reference to projects of 2004-05, it was informed that those included improvement/rehabilitation of Road-16000 Korangi Town, procurement of agriculture earth moving machinery for replacement of bulldozers, provision of electricity in villages within 1/2 km from line, construction of 59km long road from Gorah to Nangarparkar, small industrial estates in Mithi and Naushehro Feroz, recruitment of IT teachers and establishment of computer labs, permanent drinking water supply system in Thar, establishment of Revenue Academy in Hyderabad, setting up of 100 highway patrolling posts, skill development internship for unemployed civil engineers and provision of lithotripsy machines at the PMC Hospital, Nawabshah and Civil Hospital, Mirpurkhas. — APP