KARACHI, May 15: The Governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad, has pledged to provide the shelterless and people of low income with 100,000 plots at Rs500 per sq-yd under a low-cost housing project in Taisar Town. This would be done through balloting in three phases.

He was speaking to a cross-section of people under his ‘meet-the-people’ programme at the Governor’s House. Some 2,000 men and women were invited, who spoke to Ibad on various civic problems.

Adviser to Chief Minister Mumtaz Hameed, MPAs Bilquees Mukhtar and Idrees Siddiqui, and representatives of water, electricity and other departments were present there.

The governor said all-out cooperation would be extended to materialize the dreams of people for having homes of their own.

He pointed out that there were many projects in the city, which were incomplete and people had not been given possession of those.

“It is the government’s efforts to make such projects operative and give allottees their possession at the earliest,” he remarked.

Ibad exhorted the elected representatives to remain in direct contact with the people, personally visit their respective constituency areas, be apprised of the problems of people and try to provide them relief.

He told them that the elected representatives should not only mark their presence in the assemblies, but should also be seen with the people on streets and alleys.

He declared that the foremost priority of the government was economic progress, improvement in law and order and solving problems of people, which was possible only with the cooperation of people themselves.

The governor pointed out that the feudal system was an impediment in the way of progress, and it was imperative to promote higher education in order to remove that impediment.

He informed that some 150,000 jobs would be available through the establishment of call centres, textile city, industrial zones, etc.

To a question, Ibad governor acknowledged that there were lots of complaints against private schools, but when the government wanted to solve the problem, the respective parents associations intervene, and say they are satisfied and did not want interference.

“If the people want it, we will certainly provide them relief,” the governor told the gathering.

He said that attention was being paid to improve the condition of hospitals, adding that a decision had been taken whereby public participation would be ensured in the management boards of hospitals.

He further said that they believed in practical steps for the welfare of people and didn’t need any exhibition of the same.

PRIVATE UNIVERSITIES: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan said that all possible facilities would be provided in the process of dispensation of services in the field of higher education in the private sector.

In a meeting with the heads of private sector varsities and chartered degree awarding institutes in Sindh, the governor said that there was great potential in respect of higher education in the province.

The heads of private sector higher education institutions apprised the meeting about obtaining situation in the field and in this regard gave suggestions for improvement.

Dr S.M. Qureshi briefed about the steps taken by the government in this regard.

Dr Ibad stressed the need for maintaining check and balance along with provision of facilities to the institutions of higher education. In this regard the governor issued directive for the setting up of a committee to determine the survey procedure, fixing of criteria, promoting quality of higher education, improving the performance of institutions and to keeping them active and functional.

The committee will submit its report along with recommendations within 6 weeks.

Besides charter inspection and evaluation team, the committee will also have five members of private sector institutions of higher education.

The governor informed that in order to maintain the effectiveness of system of higher education, a special cell was being established in the governor house which would monitor the whole system.—APP