KARACHI, Aug 5: Sindh Chief Minister Dr Arbab Ghulam Rahim on Saturday called for taking practical measures in the light of President Musharraf’s directive to provide potable water, natural gas and electricity to all towns and villages of the province.

Addressing a high-level meeting at the CM’s House here, he noted that several areas of the province did not receive clean drinking water, and added that ensuring provision of the same was responsibility of the government.

Dr Arbab directed the authorities concerned to initiate uplift projects at UC level and also ensure supply of electricity and natural gas to all villages of Sindh.

He pointed out that Umerkot and Tharparkar districts were without natural gas, and asked the officials to provide every village with a population of a minimum of 1,000 souls with the natural gas.

He told the meeting that out of 26,300, 16,000 villages having a population of 200 souls or more had so far been electrified. He asked for the electrification of the villages with a population of 100 people.

He instructed the officials to get statistics of villages from DCOs and Bureau of Statistics, before initiating any uplift work.

He said natural gas was being supplied to 81 of the total 155 towns and 155 of the 4,527 villages in the province, but all villages and towns would be provided with the same by 2007 as pledged by President Musharraf.

Planning Minister Shoaib Bukhari, Irrigation Minister Nadir Akmal, advisers, chief secretary, CEOs of KESC and Hesco and Senior GM of SSGC attended the meeting.—PPI