HYDERABAD, May 6: Sindh minister for labour, transport, industries and commerce, Mohammad Adil Siddiqui, has said that the Sindh government was preparing an integrated and comprehensive strategy to attract investment and encourage cottage industries.

He was talking to journalists at a reception hosted in his honour by the Kotri Association of Trade and Industry at its head office on Tuesday.

The Sindh minister said that keeping in view the repatriation of workers from Middle East, Sindh government was offering incentives and leasing facilities to investors through one window service.

He said that cottage industry had a great potential for the exploitation of indigenous resources of raw material and manpower and it could help root out unemployment from the province.

He said that the Sindh government was preparing a list of sick industries for their revival by providing them technical know-how and financial assistance.

Mr Siddiqi said that a committee of three members — including Sessi chairman, additional secretary, labour, and director, Labour — had been appointed to review the labour policy with a view to making it more beneficial for workers.

Responding to a complaint about charging of high fare by transporters, he directed the local administration for taking action against such transporters.

He announced that the Sessi hospital in Kotri would be upgraded and ordered for regular duty of an orthopaedic specialist in the hospital.

He also directed the authorities to replace the outdated equipment of the hospital laboratory.

He also instructed the director, Workers Welfare Board, to prepare a feasibility report about a park so that it could be established in the shortest possible time.

Later, the provincial minister visited the Workers’ Model School, Hyderabad.

The school principal, Humera Zeb Ansari, informed him that 70 per cent of the students were being provided free of cost education.

The minister assured that salaries of the school teachers would be increased and efforts would be made to establish such schools in the other district headquarters having industrial areas.