KARACHI, Sept 11: Uplift projects worth Rs9 million have been approved for Shamspir Island and Hawkesbay fishermen villages in Keamari Town to provide basic amenities to the much neglected population of these areas.

According to Town Nazim Humayun Mohammad Khan, the municipal administration has approved these development schemes for Shamspir Island, Yunisabad, Kaka and Salehabad villages in Hawkesbay area.

He said that Rs3 million had been approved for the construction of a jetty at Shamspir while Rs4 million would be spent on the construction and improvement of water supply schemes in these areas and Rs2 million had been earmarked for electricity works in Yunisabad, Shamspir Island and other areas.

The town nazim said that work on these projects would soon be undertaken as soon as estimates of the demand for grants (current expenditures) were approved.

When he was asked that the representatives of Shamspir Fishermen Welfare Association had complained that despite the approval of funds, work on these uplift projects had not been undertaken so far.

The nazim assured that after the removal of procedural bottlenecks, the situation would be cleared when the execution of projects would take place.

He said that the municipal administration was aware of the problems of the fishermen communities and all-out efforts were being made to provide them basic amenities to bring about a change in their lifestyle.