KARACHI, Jan 9: Sindh Minister for Labour, Dewan Mohammad Yousuf Farooqui directed the officials of Workers Welfare Board on Wednesday to prepare a plan to be included in the next year’s budget for the construction of 600 flats for industrial workers at Kotri, Nooriabad and Hyderabad.

Of these flats, the minister suggested, 400 flats be constructed in Kotri and 100 each in Nooriabad and Hyderabad.

The minister issued directives in this regard at a meeting held here to review the performance of Sindh Industrial and Trading Estate (SITE), Mines and Mineral Development, Printing Press and Labour Department.

The minister suggested the setting up of new small and medium industrial estates near other cities and towns so that people could be encouraged for investment in such enterprises.

He noted that work on provision of gas to Nooriabad Industrial Estate had been expedited and would be completed by the end of January.

The minister was informed that the decaying bangle industry in Hyderabad had been revived with the provision of gas. Besides, Rs0.1 million were spent on repair of dual carriageway and construction of footpaths around Fateh Chowk while repair and maintenance work was undertaken at Hill Park at a cost of Rs0.27 million in industrial areas of Hyderabad.

An underground water tank has also been constructed at the site at a cost of Rs0.57 million.

The matter pertaining to acquisition of land from Board of Revenue for extension of Hyderabad Industrial Area also came up for discussion.

Dewan Yousuf talked to the concerned revenue officials in this regard and it was decided that Member Land Utilization accompanied by Executive District Officer (Revenue) Hyderabad and Secretary SITE would visit the area on Saturday next to identify the land for the new site.

The minister was informed that about 200 acres were allotted in Nooriabad as major industrial concerns of the country have shown interest towards establishing their units in that estate.

Besides, 44 acres were allotted in Kotri Industrial Area for establishment of large and medium enterprises.

As regards Sukkur Industrial Estate, the meeting was told that Rs0.7 million were spent on repair of roads and cleaning of drains.

At Karachi SITE, about 16 roads were improved and repaired at a cost of Rs26.63 million, while three new roads were constructed at a cost of Rs7.64 million.

To improve water supply, 20 new tubewells were installed and 10,000 running feet pipeline laid to supply about 4 MGD sub-soil water to the industrial units at a cost of Rs28.14 million.

Second phase of sub-soil water supply project was completed and inaugurated by the governor Sindh on Aug 28, 2001. Besides, 10,000 running feet (RFT) drains were cleaned.

It was informed that new street-lights are being installed on estate avenue at a cost of Rs3.5 million while lighting and improvement of roads costing Rs3.7 million and cleaning of drains costing Rs0.5 million at Super Highway estate have also been undertaken.—APP