HYDERABAD, June 9: An agreement was signed between DCO Mohammad Hussain Syed and Messrs Osmani and Company director Asim Inam Osmani on Wednesday for engineering consultancy service for preparation of a Hyderabad district action plan and supervision of development works to be carried out under the Rs10.5 billion Hyderabad Development Package.

The agreement was signed at the office of the adviser to the Sindh chief minister on local government, kutchi abadis and spatial development, Mr Wasim Akhtar.

According to the agreement, the firm would design a project for the defunct Hyderabad district in seven months and get works under the project completed in 38 months, said the DCO, who is currently working as the project director of the president’s package, in a handout.

He said that by signing the contract, the project work had been started. He said the draft of the agreement had been thoroughly studied by quarters concerned. He said appointment of a consultant for the project was aimed at ensuring transparency and accuracy in development works and avoiding overlapping so that funds could be efficiently utilized.

In addition to the Hyderabad district, the DCO said, the three new districts of Matiari, Tando Mohammad Khan and Tando Allahyar had also been included in the project according to the previous schedule.

He said the Hyderabad district government had proposed Rs6.5 billion for undertaking development works of sewerage and water supply, Rs1 billion for communication infrastructure in City, Latifabad and Qasimabad talukas, Rs1 billion for village electrification, Rs1 billion for rural gas supply and Rs1 billion for rural communication network.

He said the project steering committee, headed by the Sindh governor, was competent to decide about distribution of funds among the newly-created districts in case more development works were needed to be undertaken in those areas.

Our Hyderabad Correspondent adds: The consultant appointed by the Sindh government for the Hyderabad package will prepare a feasibility report and a scheme how to reduce the level of underground water in the city which has been a major cause of destruction of road infrastructure, local government sources said on Thursday.

A source said the consultant would go through schemes prepared for uplift of sewerage and drainage in Hyderabad and the three new districts. He said the consultant would also examine the cost of schemes and prepare a PC-I of the development package.

It was learnt that interviews for the post of a full-fledged project director had been conducted in Karachi.