KARACHI: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah on Saturday asked the ministries to make sure that the quality of uplift work they had been entrusted upon with should be reflected from the funds spent as such schemes should serve the public and not add to their hardships.

He said the government was spending public money on development schemes for public convenience, thus it became “our responsibility to spend honestly and work diligently”.

This he said while presiding over a meeting at CM House on development schemes being carried out under provincial and district annual development plans.

He said by profession he was an engineer and could assess quality of a development work. “You cannot hoodwink me, I would personally visit your under-construction schemes hardly on a two-hour notice and would take strict action if any duplicity is found,” he said.

He asked the secretaries of works and services, and irrigation ministries to inform their engineers to not leave their areas without informing the commissioners concerned and prior permission of their respective secretaries.

Mr Shah also banned visits of XENs to the planning and development and finance ministries. “It is not their responsibility to modify or revise their schemes or get funds of their schemes released,” he said.

He asked the chief secretary to stop allowing more tasks to one engineer in irrigation and works and service ministries. “Such policy gives impression of nepotism and affects the performance of engineers badly. One engineer should be made responsible only for the position where he is posted,” he said, adding, “This is a policy decision.”

The chief minister said despite release of online funds by the finance ministry district treasuries did not release them onward. Commissioner of Hyderabad Kazi Shahid Parvez said the treasuries released them funds when a certified copy issued by the finance ministry was presented. The chief minister asked the finance officials to withdraw such condition.

The meeting participants were informed that schemes launched under district annual development programmes (ADPs) of Rs25 billion were not properly implemented.

Mr Shah asked divisional commissioners to monitor the schemes to ensure their quality. He urged them to keep visiting under-construction schemes of the provincial ADP. He asked them to involve deputy commissioner in inspection.

The meeting participants were informed that Rs8.5bn maintenance and repairs budget for the provincial roads and buildings was low yet it was not being used wisely. Mr Shah asked the departmental heads to keep an eye on its utilisation. He said every commissioner must have complete data of schemes needing repairs, the time when they started and difference they made after completion.

Mr Shah said he had got his cabinet members involved to visit development schemes across the province. “My aim is to turn every ministry a public welfare ministry,” he said.

Commissioner of Larkana Inam Dharejo said the ratio of road accidents had increased on the Indus Highway for it was the single carriageway.

He said heavy cargo traffic flow had increased, which would reduce its expected life. The chief minister asked the chief secretary and his principal secretary to coordinate with the National Highway Authority in this connection.

Over suggestion from Sukkur commissioner Abbas Baloch, the chief minister said work on Kumb-Nawabshah Road would begin shortly.

Mr Shah asked the commissioners to get the sanctioned new establishment (SNE) of completed health and education schemes from the finance ministry.

“Scheme which has been completed must be made functional at the earliest,” he said.

Chinese investors meet CM

An eight-member delegation of Chinese investors led by Mr Liu Guoqiang, president, Sichuan Investment Group, called on Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at CM House and discussed with him investment opportunities in energy sector, particularly relating to wind and solar sectors.

The chief minister told them about the vast wind corridor at Jhimpir, with potential of producing 50,000 megawatts. Similarly, he said, Sindh had different corridors of solar energy where they could invest.

Mr Shah asked the additional chief secretary (development) to coordinate with the investors and hold their meetings with line departments for necessary action and facilitation.

Rehman Malik

The chairman of senate standing committee on interior, Rehman Malik, called on Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah here at CM House and discussed law and order, political milieu in the city and issues pertaining to the ruling party.

Published in Dawn October 23rd, 2016

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