KARACHI: Mayor Wasim Akhtar on Thursday asked the district officials concerned to complete all ongoing development projects in this fiscal year’s Annual Development Programme (ADP) within the stipulated time, warning that any lapse would harm the citizens’ trust in the elected municipal leadership.

“The officers and the departments concerned should complete these works on war footing,” said the mayor while presiding over a meeting at his office held to review the progress of ongoing schemes slated for this financial year’s ADP.

He said it was high time to provide relief to citizens, who were in the grip of a host of problems.

“Teamwork could provide relief to citizens,” said Mayor Akhtar.

The officials affiliated with the development projects apprised the mayor of the development schemes being carried out in the city’s six districts. They said a total of 232 schemes had been launched this year under the ADP in the six districts.

Officials in the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation quoted the officials assuring the mayor that they were making all efforts to ensure that all those works got completed in time.

The meeting participants were told 29 ongoing ADP schemes had been launched in Karachi South at the cost of Rs528.486 million.

Officials said three schemes costing Rs59.5m had recently been completed, while six projects worth Rs119.36m would be completed soon.

Some 42 schemes with a total cost of Rs937m have been launched this fiscal in Karachi East. One of the schemes costing Rs20m has been completed; five more schemes with a total cost of Rs86m would be completed soon.

In Karachi Central, 60 new development schemes have been launched with the total cost of Rs1,151.37m. Two of those schemes costing Rs40m have been completed while seven more schemes worth Rs119.3m were on the verge of completion.

Some Rs897.38m is allocated for 47 development schemes in Karachi West this fiscal. One of those schemes worth Rs19.2m has been completed while seven more schemes with a total cost of Rs133m are expected to be completed soon.

In Malir district, 24 schemes have been launched this year against Rs437.5m. The meeting was told one of those schemes worth Rs3.8m had been completed; three more schemes worth Rs51m would be completed soon.

The mayor was told Rs606.6m was being spent on 30 new schemes in Korangi. Of them, officials added, two schemes worth Rs20.3m had been completed. They expected another two schemes costing Rs118.55m would soon be completed.

The mayor stressed that all works should be wrapped up by the staff in time.

He warned action would be taken against the officers who showed negligence.

Faisal Sabzwari, a member of the provincial legislature belonging to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan who also attended the meeting, said people were looking towards their elected members for resolving their problems and it was their duty to deliver.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2017