LARKANA, Oct 22: The district council, Larkana, in its session on Wednesday unanimously passed the proposed annual development programme for the year 2003-2004 for Rs608.85 million.

The district Nazim, Khursheed Ahmed Junejo, said that on August 8, 2002, the first ADP to the tune of Rs600 million was presented where Rs21.65 million were allocated for the Citizens Community Board and now for the completion of on-going projects a handsome amount of Rs216 million had been proposed.

Elaborating the 21-point ADP, the district nazim said that in all 142 development schemes in different departments would be completed.

He said that under the Drought Emergency Relief Assistance programme, a number of schemes of road network and providing water to the dwellers of Kasho and the mountainous belt of Larkana district were being completed.

He said that under the new ADP, an amount of Rs185 million had been allocated so as to connect the far-flung areas with the Taluka and district headquarters.

The district government was planning to recruit doctors on a contract basis in the district under the school community health care centre system with Rs8,000 honorarium and they would look after the health of school-going children studying in five elementary schools.

The district government will launch a survey of educated unemployed youth in the district and help them in getting jobs.

He told the session that the federal government had agreed to provide Rs4.30 billion for two projects; i.e. the construction of a bridge over the River Indus to connect Larkana with Khairpur district and construction of the Indus Highway from Larkana to Sehwan.

He said that the Sindh government had sanctioned Rs270.25 million for the construction of an open-air theatre, the Kambar-Mirokhan Road, lining of the Rice Canal, and improving the sewerage system of Larkana.

Participating in the discussion, Amir Bakhsh Gaad, Badruddin Abbasi, Safdar Mithani, Aijaz Leghari, Ali Abdullah Shah, Mohammed Hayat Shaikh, Barkat Shaikh, Dr Niaz Chandio, Muhib Pirzado, Manzoor Chandio and Parsram criticized the performance of the School Management Committees and pointed towards the misappropriation of funds.

They demanded the district Nazim to contact the Sindh government for releasing halted funds as soon as possible for the completion of development works under the Khushhal Pakistan Programme.

The Nazim assured them that he would do so.

The Nazim said that a big amount had been allocated for the preservation of Moenjodaro.