KARACHI, May 10: A two-week-long cleanliness campaign will be launched in the city on Monday, Sindh governor Dr Ishratul Ibad announced here on Saturday.

Presiding over a meeting at the governor’s house, he directed the city government and all the 18 towns to make the city clean and green. Moreover, coordinated efforts be made to remove encroachments and to check sewage overflows.

The participants of the meeting included minister for local government Mohammad Hussain, minister for transport Adil Siddiqui, City Nazim Naimatullah Khan, chief secretary K B Rind, town nazims, DCO Karachi Mir Hussain Ali, town municipal officers, town police officers, provincial advisers, secretaries and senior police officials.

Focussing his attention on the issues being confronted by common man, the governor said these include insanitation, encroachments, solid waste management, increasing number of road accidents, inadequate water supply, overflowing gutters, unsatisfactory transport system and presence of gambling dens and illegal mini-cinema houses, showing pornographic movies on videos.

Expressing his dissatisfaction over the performance of TMOs and TPOs, he said that during his recent visits to various city areas, he was pained to see that insanitary conditions persisted even in and around hospitals and police stations.

Lauding the cleanliness situation in some towns, he said when cleanliness can be ensured in some towns, why other towns can’t follow the suit.

“If no visible change was not noticed after the ensuing cleanliness drive, the government would be constrained to think that the officials responsible are neither interested with the city, nor in solving its issues.

He said that the paucity of funds should not be made an excuse. He said he would visit various towns during the cleanliness drive and if visible changes were not seen, officials responsible would be taken to task.

He also directed the water and sanitation department to start a campaign against illegal water connections. Such a drive should, however, begin from affluent areas of the city.

When the city Nazim, Naimatullah Khan, drew the attention of the governor towards the property tax amount which the provincial government has not yet released to the city government, the local government minister, Mohammad Hussain, said that a huge amount which is required to be disbursed among towns is stuck up with the city government.

At this, the governor asked the local government minister and the finance secretary to immediately resolve the issue.

Speaking on the occasion, Liaquatabad Town’s Nazim, Dr Pervaiz Mehmood, informed the governor that “some political activists have converted offices of eight parks of Liaquatabad Town into the offices of their party.

Saddar Town’s Nazim, Farooq Faria, told the meeting that the town administration had recently removed encroachments in Saddar with the coordination of the city government and the police.

Gulberg Town Nazim, Farooq Naimatullah, requested the governor that since there is an acute shortage of sanitation staff, towns be permitted to hire the sanitary staff on a contract basis against the sanctioned vacant posts.

Referring to the issue raised by Nazim Lyari Town, provincial transport minister, Adil Siddiqui, informed the governor that he had plans to shift the stands of inter-provincial busses to KTC’s three depots, but these are in the possession of the rangers and if they are vacated, the issue could be resolved.