HYDERABAD, May 10: The Sindh minister for commerce, industry, labour and transport, Mohammad Adil Siddiqui, has said the provincial government is preparing a policy to promote the cottage industry.

Speaking at an open kutchehry at the circuit house here on Thursday night, he said under this policy, interests of the industry and craftsmen would be protected.

He said the government was making efforts to reactivate seven big and 17 small industrial estates in the province to provide more job opportunities to people.

He said the government had also introduced one-window system to provide financial and technical assistance to investors.

Referring to complaints about vehicles plying in the city, the minister said he had ordered an inquiry into the complaints and directed that no more route permits should be given. He also asked transporters to produce fitness certificates of their vehicles within 20 days and remove tape-recorders and pressure horns. He warned that action would be taken against transporters who did not comply with the order.

Mr Siddiqui claimed that expulsion of people from kutchi abadis located on the railway land had been stopped and a strategy in this regard would soon be evolved.

He said the federal government would soon announce a policy to resolve problems of the Hyderabad district.

About the issuance of detection bills by Hesco, MNA Khalid Wahab, said the issue had been raised on the floor of the National Assembly and the authorities of the company had agreed to hold an inquiry into the matter.