KARACHI, Sept 27: Chief Secretary Fazlur Rehman on Tuesday directed the officials concerned to ensure provision of health and education facilities to families shifted to Taisar and Hawksbay towns under the Lyari Expressway Resettlement project (LERP).

Presiding over a high-level meeting held at his office, the chief secretary directed the officials of education department to release SNE funds for the government-run schools in the two towns, provide free text books and payment of stipends to students.

He also directed them to appoint local teachers in the schools the two towns and in case of their non-availability teachers from the surroundings areas should be appointed in accordance with the rules and regulations.

In view of health problems, it was decided that the EDO health would ensure the presence of doctors and provision of medicines through government medical dispensaries in the towns.

EDO Health Dr Khalid Shaikh and EDO Education Abdul Wahab Abbasi assured the chief secretary of taking steps as needed and that they would be finalised within a week.

The chief secretary said he would pay surprise visits after one week to see the implementation of the decision taken at the Tuesday’s meeting.

LERP Project Director Shafiqur Rehman Paracha, Local Government Secretary Mohammed Ishaq Lashari, Education Additional Secretary Tufail Ahmed Jummani, Health Additional Secretary Manzoor A. Memon and other officials also attended the meeting.

Mr Paracha told the meeting that out of 24,000 families to be shifted, 14,000 families had been settled.—APP