KARACHI: Cemented watercourses across Sindh planned: CM tells assembly...
By Our Reporter
KARACHI, Oct 17: Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim informed the Sindh Assembly on Monday that the government intended to construct cemented watercourses throughout the province.
His statement came in a written reply, in response to a question raised by Ms Heer Ismail Soho, read out during the question hour in the house.
The house was told that a project, the National Programme for the Improvement of 32,000 watercourses, costing Rs22,523.34 million, was under implementation with the financial assistance by the federal government.
During 2004-05 (up to May this year), 109 watercourses have been improved and 561 are undergoing improvement work. Earth work on 565 watercourses has been completed. A total of 2,537 watercourses associations have been registered. Appointment of staff has been made on contract basis while training of 680 field staff has been started at different training institutes, according to the chief minister.
The house was further told that an amount of Rs801.68 million had been released to district governments during the year 2004-05 for the watercourses improvement work.
Replying to a question from opposition member Ms Humera Alwani, the chief minister said that no complaint of sea water intrusion in Karachi had been received from farming community.
Responding to a question raised by MMA’s Nasrullah Shaji about indoor sports facilities available at the KMC Complex on Kashmir Road, the provincial Minister for Sports Qamar Mansoor informed the house that the facility was under the administrative control of the City District Government Karachi and the sports facilities were being provided on membership basis.
The CDGK supervises and looks after the maintenance viz-a-viz the facilities available at the complex, according to him.
The minister also gave details of the facilities and the amount earned through various means.
Replying to a question by Ms Sharfun Nisa Leghari, provincial minister for industries Mohammad Adil Siddiqui informed the house that there were 102 rice mills in Jacobabad district out of which 14 were lying closed due to financial constrains.
In reply to a question by Ayaz Soomro, Mr Qamar Mansoor told the house that no funds were allocated for the promotion of football, cricket and hockey in Larkana district because the Sindh Sports Board’s annual grant-in-aid was Rs15 million which included expenditure under the heads of salaries of the Board employees, Inter-provincial tournaments (organized by the Pakistan Sports Board) and various events involving the teams (boys/girls) from Sindh.
In this context, the Sindh Sports Board also provides track suits, TA/DA, railway fare, etc. As the Sindh government had enhanced the grant-in-aid for the Sindh Sports Board, now the grant would be released to provincial sports associations through District Officer, Culture & Sports, for sports activities.
Replying to a question by Jam Mahtab Hussain Dahar, the industries minister informed the house that the Sindh Small Industries Corporation (SSIC) had planned its own industrial estate in Sukkur in the year 2005-06. The provincial government has allocated Rs3 million for extension of the Small Industrial Estate, Sukkur, out of this, 1.5 million had been released by the government.
In his written reply, he said that extension of SIE Sukkur, to be constructed over an area of 50 acres, was approved in the year 2003-2004 with an estimated cost of Rs23.591 million. The SSIC would develop industrial plots in two categories i.e. 1000 sq-yards and 500 sq-yards. The scheme would be completed within 48 months.
The government had planned setting up of a number of new industrial estates in the province, besides the extension of existing industrial estates, both by the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE) and the Sindh Small industries Corporation (SSIC).
The SITE had moved a request for allotment of 5,000 acres on road linking National Highway and Super Highway, 2,000-acre land in Nooriabad, 1,000-acre land in Hyderabad and 500-acre land in Kotri. After the allotment of the land to the SITE, a layout plan would be prepared with estimated cost.
The SSIC has already acquired 100-acre land near Northern Bypass in Karachi where the infrastructure development work has already commenced for the setting up of a small industrial estate at an estimated cost of Rs256.182 million. Two more small industrial estates were also being established. Besides, extension of two SIEs over an area of 50 acres each in Hyderabad and Sukkur was in the process and their cost has been estimated at Rs82.165 million and Rs23.591 million respectively.
