KARACHI: Ibad orders immediate release of funds: Salaries of HDA employees
KARACHI, Oct 30: Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad, taking notice of the delay in payment of salaries to the employees of Hyderabad Development Authority, asked the finance department to immediately release the funds and issued directive for making payment to them before Eid.
He issued the directive while presiding over a meeting held to review Hyderabad Package and related development projects on Sunday.
The bottlenecks in the way of ongoing schemes under Hyderabad package also came under consideration and the governor issued instructions for immediate release of Rs70 million to ensure unhindered implementation of schemes.
The governor stressed on continuity of schemes of Greater Hyderabad Package and directed the provincial government to release Rs182 million for the purpose as an ad hoc arrangement and adjust the amount later from the funds released by federal government.
Ishratul Ibad also emphasized upon early completion of schemes of water supply, drainage and construction and repair of roads on priority basis.
The meeting was attended by Senior Provincial Minister Syed Sardar Ahmed, Planning and Development Minister Shoaib Ahmed Bukhari, Transport Minister Adil Siddiqi, Finance Adviser M.A. Jalil, Local Government Adviser Waseem Akhtar, Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman, Hyderabad Nazim Kanwar Naveed, Principal Secretary Saleem Khan, DCO Hyderabad Mohammed Hussain Syed and other officials.
Meanwhile, the governor cancelled all his Eid-related programmes and called for celebrating the occasion with simplicity in view of devastation caused by the earthquake in northern parts of the country.
In view of his directive, no Eid-related ceremony will be held in Governor’s House this year. The governor will offer Eid prayers at Bagh-i-Jinnah (Old Polo Ground).
Ishratul Ibad said the people and government of Sindh equally shared the agonies of their country-men in this hour of trial. He expressed the hope that resettlement and rehabilitation of affected people would be ensured by employing all available resources.
On Sunday evening, the Foreign Minister of Nepal, Ramesh Nath Pandey, met Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad at Governor’s House.
Besides matters of mutual interest, exchange of views also took place on relief and rehabilitation of earthquake victims.
The foreign minister paid tributes to the people and the government of Pakistan for the relief efforts and said the international community too would play its role in this testing period.
The governor appreciated the concern and cooperation for earliest possible relief operation by the international community.
Both the visiting foreign minister and the governor were of the view that with the joint efforts being made under the leadership of President Musharraf, the mission for helping the earthquake-hit people and their rehabilitation would succeed. They said the spirit, unity and cohesion demonstrated by the people of Pakistan was praise worthy.
They also exchanged views on bilateral trade and economic relations between the two countries.
Mr Ramesh Nath extended special invitation to Pakistan’s private sector for investment in Nepal and asked the governor to induce the investors in Sindh towards this. He identified hydel-power electric plants, water resources and other sectors as fields of investment and said that Nepal was offering a free and friendly environment for this purpose.
The governor assured the visitor of all cooperation in this regard. He pointed out that economic bonds played a significant role towards strengthening mutual relationships between the countries and said that Pakistan was paying full attention on consolidating its economic relations with friendly countries.
Ishratul Ibad said that Karachi was the economic hub of the region and seventh mega city of the world. He said the city’s conditions had witnessed fast improvement during the last few years and a good deal of headway achieved on account of law and order as well as in the social, educational, cultural and economic sectors.
Nepalese Ambassador Pushkar Raj Bhandari and Honorary Consul-General Mushtaq Chhapra were also present. —APP
