HYDERABAD, July 22: The Sindh minister for local bodies and Kutchi Abadis, Mohammad Hussain, has constituted a committee to take up issues of drainage and sewerage systems with authorities of the Hyderabad Cantonment Board.

Talking to journalists at the circuit house here on Monday after his visit to Hyderabad’s three talukas, he said the committee would be headed by MNA Prof Khalid Wahab and District Nazim Dr Makhdoom Rafiquzzaman, Nazims of City, Qasimabad and Latifabad talukas, MPAs Dr Arshad Shah, Aslam Pervez and Farzana Saeed would be its members.

He said the committee, which would be duly notified by the Sindh government, was formed following complaints from the taluka municipal administration about problems involving the HCB.

He said he was informed that the HCB had illegally mixed a sewerage line with the sewerage system of the City taluka municipal administration and it had constructed shops over a sewerage drain of the TMA.

The minister said he would personally meet the Sindh Corps Commander in Karachi if the committee did not rectify the situation, which was affecting the people.

He opposed appointment of separate project directors for three talukas for execution of the Rs500 million Hyderabad Development Package.

He said a team of 10 sub-engineers, headed by the public health engineering department director, would oversee the project. He said the second instalment of the package had been withheld to verify schemes being undertaken the project.

Mr Hussain stressed the need for constructing roads after drainage and sewerage systems of the city were overhauled.

Referring to the devolution of the Hyderabad Development Authority and the Wasa, he said like these two bodies, the Karachi Water and Sewerage Board, Sindh Kutchi Abadis Authority and the Karachi Building Control Authority were also working under their separate acts and they were not devolved as yet.

He said for devolution of these bodies, a directive from the Centre was needed so that the provincial government could present a bill in the Sindh Assembly.

He said the Sindh Local Government Commission was working on 600 complaints and complaints against town Nazims of Orangi and Gulshan-i-Iqbal had been proved.

Answering a question about interference of ministers in district governments’ affairs, he denied that there was any rift between ministers and Nazims, except Karachi where some Nazims backed by the Jamaat-i-Islami were pursuing an propaganda against the government.

He said the city district government of Karachi was now protesting over transfers and postings but when these transfers were made by a non-elected government it did not object.