September 29, 2007	Saturday	Ramazan 16, 1428

HYDERABAD, Sept 28: Sindh Minister for Local Bodies and Spatial Development Mohammad Hussain expressed concern over launching of countless housing schemes in different cities of the province given the existing civic infrastructure couldn’t cope with burden of these schemes.

He said that he has asked special secretaries of housing and planning to scrutinise files of these schemes to find out whether there were anomalies. He strongly opposed dissolution or suspension of local bodies institution ahead of general elections in the country.

He was responding to queries of journalists after attending a Khidmat-i-Khalq Foundation’s programme for distribution of goods at Mir’s gardens here Friday.

He said that during his visit to Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Mirpurkhas and Nawabshah he noticed that various housing schemes have been launched.

He said that such schemes are to be regulated by director town planning which controlled six cities of the province.

“I admit that these schemes are launched without upgrading civic infrastructure. Its really disturbing to note that required drainage and sewerage system is not available there and measures have not been taken to ensure developments of these schemes”, he said when asked whether he intends to see that rules for housing schemes’ approval should be modified.

He said that he has asked director town planning to inquire into these schemes and had held meetings in Hyderabad. He said he had asked his ministry’s special secretary for housing and planning to obtain files of these schemes to see that anomalies, if any, could be noted. He further said that purpose of scrutinising these files was to check whether required measures for catering to drainage and sewerage needs are taken or they have been simply overlooked by officials.

“If officials are found guilty of it they will certainly be taken to task”, he said. He further said he had also asked director-general Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) to look into the matter separately.