KARACHI: City Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Tuesday said recommendations for development projects in Karachi had been sent to the Sindh government for approval and allocation of funds in the next fiscal year.

He said he had sought Rs25 billion from the provincial government for executing 143 development projects across the city.

“Elected representatives have got this opportunity after 10 years to serve the people and we hope that these schemes would be approved by the local government secretary in the larger interest of the people,” the mayor said while addressing a press conference at his office.

He said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had allocated Rs12bn in the outgoing fiscal year and as per his announcement all ongoing development works, including mega projects, would be completed by June this year.

He said like the past practices, the schemes should not be completed by the bureaucracy, but by the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation, which is the chief municipal body of the city.

The mayor asked CM Shah to approve the schemes sent to him so that the elected representatives could solve the long-standing problems of the people.

He said those schemes had been sent by the elected representatives of the city and the chief minister should follow up with due attention.

The schemes should not be completed by some project director, but by the KMC, he added.

Deputy Mayor Arshad Vohra and senior officers were also present at the press briefing.

Mr Akhtar presented details of the 143 uplift schemes planned for 2017-18 with an estimated cost of Rs25bn.

He said the new fiscal year was around the corner and “we have planned more works in least possible time”.

He said some important projects included construction of KMC building, hospitals, parks, recreation and municipal services works in the new schemes proposed for the provincial Annual Development Programme 2017-18.

Besides, construction of roads, storm-water drains and extension of roads with installation of streetlights, etc, in different parts of districts Malir, West, East, Central, South and Korangi have been included in the proposals.

He said preferential schemes worth Rs8.402bn of KMC buildings, parks, and hospitals had been included in the schemes.

The mayor said all possible efforts had been made to include only those works in the list which were highly important and needed to be done on urgent grounds.

Replying to a question about traffic arrangements for the upcoming month of Ramazan, he said his administration had chalked out a comprehensive traffic plan for Ramazan, in which KMC’s city wardens would be deputed in each district for assisting the traffic police.

Published in Dawn, May 24th, 2017